PF1000 High-Energy Plasma Focus Device Operated With Neon as a Copious Soft X-Ray Source

The measured current waveforms of PF1000 plasma focus operating in neon are first fitted to the computed currents using the Lee model for the pressures of 0.5 and 0.8 torr. The fitting fixes the model parameters. The code is then run to study and to optimize the soft X-ray yield from (~352 kJ) PF1000 device. The maximum characteristic soft X-ray (H-like and He-like lines) yield of 4.2 kJ is found to occur at the pressure of 0.85 torr, with the pinch duration of 207 ns and with an all-line yield of 4.8 kJ. Maximum compression (corresponding to smallest pinch radius) of 0.585 cm with the duration of 224 ns is obtained at 1 torr with the greatest all-line yield of 7.1 kJ but a lower characteristic soft X-ray yield of 3.2 kJ. Detailed computation results indicate that the maximum compression (minimum pinch radius) at 1 torr is attributed to two mechanisms: thermodynamics specific heat ratio effects and radiative losses.