Neutron Emission Characteristics of Pinched Dense Magnetized Plasmas

Abstract

One outstanding property of pinch plasmas (Z-pinch, plasma focus, capillary discharge) is the generation of intensive very high energy electron and ion beams caused by high-amplitude electromagnetic fields. High-temperature dense magnetized plasmas are produced in high-current electrical discharges of various geometries by fast magnetic and shock compression. If the discharge is operated in deuterium gas, fusion reactions take place. It has been found from neutron emission characteristics that most of the fusion reactions are from the beam target and not from thermonuclear processes. Ion trajectories within and outside the plasma can be described by a generalized gyrating particle model (GPM). The results of space-, time-, and energy-resolved measurements of fusion neutrons (2.45 MeV) and protons (3 MeV), obtained from a 500-kJ plasma focus, are presented. Results are interpreted based on the GPM