Experimental investigation of pinched plasma current and HXR intensity using Ne in different pressures by Amirkabir plasma focus facility

One of the main characteristic experiments on Amirkabir Mather type plasma focus facility (16kV, 36muf, and 115nH) is investigation of current signals behavior at the various working conditions to obtain the most appropriate working parameters result to a high intensity plasma pinch. In this study we selected Argon and Neon as working gases and after adjusting voltage level in the range of 10.5 kV to 15.5 kV, applied pressure varied from 0.6 torr to 2 torr and for every condition we obtained pinched current signal. The discharge current amplitude dependence upon applied voltage in optimum pressure in the discharge with Ar, and Ne are given. HXR intensity vs. pressure for Ne is obtained by two calibrated fast plastic scintillates and also two Nal scintillates to get an average value at every adjusted pressure in the voltage of 11.5 kV. The height of the voltage signals from these detectors is a scale of HXR intensity at every shot. The result averaged among ten shots at the same conditions. Optimum pressure tended to increase as we tried to higher voltage levels for any of working gases and a linear dependence was obtained for the variation of plasma pinch current with the voltage. As we know, the HXR arise from the anode face due to impact of electron beam which decrease with pressure. Decrease of HXR intensity with the increase of working pressure is obvious in these experiments.