Studying How Plasma Jets are Generated in a Plasma Focus

摘要

Plasma bunches with the characteristic size of approximately 1 mm and electron density larger than 10(19) cm(-3) are registered by the laser sounding methods on a Mather-type plasma focus (PF). The bunches appear after the collapse of the plasma column and move along the discharge axis from the anode with the initial velocity of 2 x 10(7) cm/s. The generation of these bunches is mainly caused by the axial displacement of the plasma during development of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability on the pinch. The plasma jets in the second half-period of discharge are also registered. Moreover, the layered plasma structures are revealed at the decrease in the discharge current.