Dense Plasma Focus $Z$ -Pinches for High-Gradient Particle Acceleration

The final Z-pinch stage of a dense plasma focus (DPF) could be used as a simple, compact, and potentially rugged plasma-based high-gradient accelerator with fields at the 100-MV/m level. In this paper, we review previously published experimental beam data that indicate the feasibility of such a DPF-based accelerator, qualitatively discuss the physical acceleration processes in terms of the induced voltages, and as a starting point, examine the DPF acceleration potential by numerically applying a self-consistent DPF system model that includes the induced voltage from both macroscopic and instability-driven plasma dynamics. Applications to the remote detection of high explosives and a multistaged acceleration concept are briefly discussed.