Measurements of Energetic Particle Beams in a Plasma Focus

Measurements of energetic particle beams in a plasma focus with a Mather-type device are presented. Two Faraday cups are used simultaneously to measure energetic particle beams in both the up- and down-stream directions with respect to the discharge current. In the upstream direction, only an electron beam was detected and no ion beam was observed. In the down-stream direction, an ion beam was detected first and then an electron beam followed 50–100 ns from the onset of the ion beam signal. It is shown that at a relatively high filling pressure of 4–6 Torr D2, the neutron yield increases when the electron beams are more intense in both directions.