Experimental evidence of existence of the axial magnetic field in a plasma focus

Abstract

The magnetic field distribution substantially affects mechanisms for the generation of radiation in Z-pinches. Investigation of the axial component of the magnetic field is one of the important problems in plasma focus studies. The measurements of the Bz-component of the magnetic field on the PF-1000 facility were done with the multichannel absolutely calibrated probe both at the stage of plasma-current sheath radial compression and in the dense-pinch stage. In the compression stage, the axial component of the magnetic field reaches several kG that comprises ∼10% of the azimuthal component. The presence of the Bz field is a powerful argument in favor of the existence of closed magnetic configurations, which play an important role in the generation of neutrons.