Temporal and spatial study of neon ion emission from a plasma focus device

The temporal and spatial characteristics of the neon ion beam emissions from a low energy plasma focus device have been studied by employing a multiple Faraday cup assembly and the CR-39 track detectors at different angular and axial positions. In addition, the operating gas pressures were also varied to study the temporal and spatial characteristics of the neon ion beam emissions. The Faraday cup analyses show that the ion flux strongly depends on the operating gas pressure as well as the angular positions. The estimated ion energy measurements at the aperture of the Faraday cup indicate that the plasma focus device is a source of polyenergetic ions ranging from approximately a few keV to a few hundreds of keV, irrespective of the angular positions. The exposed CR-39 detectors have shown the formation of multiple ion tracks with diameter ranging from 2 to 13 mu m. The populations of lower diameter tracks (2-6 mu m) are observed to be more at 0 degrees and 10 degrees angles. It is also noticed that the most populated track counts have shifted toward the higher diameter as the angular positions change from 0 degrees to 70 degrees. The present study enables us to predict a clear picture of ion flux and energy distribution inside the plasma focus chamber that will help to use the device for material irradiation application in a more controlled manner. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3560884]