Study of X-ray emission from plasma focus device using vacuum photodiode

A newly fabricated vacuum photodiode (VPD) is used to measure time resolved X-ray emission and electron temperature from plasma focus device operated in hydrogen medium. The VPD signals are compared with the PIN diode signal and observed to be of similar in nature. The acquired signals from VPD are deduced to measure electron temperature and X-ray radiated power for four different anode tips (cylindrical, diverging, oval and converging). The electron temperatures are found to be 0.64, 1.5, 0.60 and 0.55 keV for cylindrical, diverging, oval and converging anode tips respectively in hydrogen plasma. The X-ray radiated powers are observed to be varying with respect to the shape of the anode tips and it is found highest in case of converging tip and lowest for the diverging one. Results indicate that VPD could efficiently be employed as an X-ray diagnostics in plasma focus device.