A study of the production of neutrons in a dense plasma focus source operated with a non-uniform density of deuterium neutral gas

Dense plasma focus (DPF) devices have been studied largely as strong sources of fusion neutrons. The high-density plasma focalization (focus) is produced by a pinching effect, after the evolution of a plasma sheath around coaxial electrodes surrounded by a uniform deuterium atmosphere. The optimization of the neutron yield (for a given electrical energy expended) depends on the contribution of electrical parameters, the geometry of the electrodes and the density of . This paper presents experimental results obtained in the DPF PACO (2 kJ, 31 kV) when (after its performance of its optimization with a uniform atmosphere) it is operated with various density profiles of between the electrodes and in the focus zone. It is shown that a relevant improvement in the neutron yield can be obtained by operation with non-uniform density.