Simulation and Characterization of a Dense Plasma Focus Device
Date
2018-09-12
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
ORCID
Type
Thesis
Degree Level
Masters
Abstract
Electron temperatures have been measured in a 1 kJ Mather-type dense plasma focus
device (UofS-I DPF) with a hollow copper anode at the University of Saskatchewan (UofS)
Plasma Physics Lab (PPL). The UofS-I DPF device is powered by a 5 F capacitor bank
charged up to 20 kV with an optimum operating pressure of 100 - 200 mTorr argon gas. The
features of the plasma dynamics in the UofS-I DPF device have been studied by analyzing
signals of the discharge current, the anode voltage, the intensities of electron and ion beams,
and the soft x-ray (SXR) and hard x-ray (HXR) radiations. The peak times of signals have
been compared with the pinch time. A negatively-biased BPX-65 Si-PIN photodiode array
has been used to measure SXR emissions from the UofS-I DPF. The double- lter technique
and the ratio method have been used to determine the electron temperature based on the
measured SXR intensities. An electron temperature of 5.7 0.7 keV has been obtained
for the argon plasma. Moreover, linear correlations of the current dip, the peaks of the
electron beam and the SXR and HXR emissions with the peak of the anode voltage have
been observed. Linear correlations of the same signals with the electron temperature have
also been observed.
The Lee model code has been used to determine the optimum capacitor bank voltage
and operating pressure for the UofS-I DPF. The Lee code has also been used for tting the
experimental current waveform to the computed waveform in order to obtain the mass and
current factors. These factors allow the computations of the radial positions and the speeds
of the focusing plasma.
Description
Keywords
DPF, Dense Plasma Focus, Mather, Plasma Gun
Citation
Degree
Master of Science (M.Sc.)
Department
Physics and Engineering Physics
Program
Physics