Abstract

We have investigated, with time and space resolution, the ion beam emission from a plasma focus (PF) device, operating in methane, at 20 kV, with 1.8 kJ stored energy. A detector array is used to measure simultaneously the ion beams at five different angular directions with respect to the PF axis (0°, 10°, 15°, 20° and 90°), at a distance of 77 cm from the ion source. Ion beam energy correlations for operation in methane indicate that the dominant charge states on the detector are H+, C+4 and C+5, irrespective of the angular positions. The time integrated ion beam signal and the energy-dispersive x-ray analysis of a carbon films deposited on silicon surface shows the impurity emission from the PF electrode surface. Measured ion fluxes are maximum for the energy range of 15-40 keV, 50-100 keV and 100-300 keV, for H+, C+4, and C+5, respectively. Measurements of the angular distribution of hydrogen and carbon ions reveal a strong angular anisotropy. It is argued that the observed angular anisotropy of the ion beam emission can be explained in terms of ion Larmor radius effects during the z-pinch like plasma formation phase, which is characteristic of PF discharges. © 2006 IOP Publishing Ltd.