Time resolved neutron and hard X-ray emission in the dense plasma focus, revisited

Summary form only given. The time dependence of the MeV ion abundance can provide critical information on acceleration mechanisms in the dense plasma of focused discharges. Time resolved measurements of neutrons and hard X-rays are used to gauge the time evolution of ion population. The plasma focus (7 kJ; 17 kV) chamber was filled with O/sub 2/ (10%) and D/sub 2/ (90%) mixture. Time resolved measurements were done at different distances from the pinch (L) and at different angles (/spl theta/) from the electrode axis by NE102 (L=0.15 m; /spl theta/=0/spl deg/) and NE111 (L=3.8 m; /spl theta/=0/spl deg/ & 90/spl deg/) plastic scintillators. Time integrated absolute measurements of total yield of D(d,n)/sup 3/He and /sup 16/O(d,n)/sup 17/F nuclear reactions were used to establish population of low (E<0.5 MeV) and high (E/sub i/>2 MeV) energy ions. Measured neutron and hard X-ray signals (E/sub x//spl ges/100 keV) were unfolded to recover the real time resolved emission signals P/sub n/ & P/sub x/, respectively.