Imaging of Plasma Focus Fusion by Proton Coded Aperture Technique

The coded aperture imaging (CAI) technique has been applied to investigate the spatial distribution of DD fusion in a deuterium filled 1.6 kJ plasma focus (PF) device operated in its neutron-optimized regime. The coded mask has been fabricated in Havar alloy with 20 × 20 pixels and 57 square holes (14% open area) using a Singer-set Cyclic Difference pattern. Five CAI cameras were employed simultaneously: one placed on-axis (0°) and four at 45° to the PF axis. CR-39 polymer nuclear track detectors were used to register proton tracks from D(d,p)T reactions. The detectors were covered by 75 μm Kapton film to stop all energetic charged particles (mostly deuterons) other than the 3 MeV fusion protons. A de-convolution algorithm was applied to the measured proton track coordinates to obtain images of the fusion source from the five directions. Typically (2–8) × 10⁴ proton tracks were registered by each detector per shot. Also two beryllium fast-neutron detectors were employed simultaneously to measure the associated neutron yield and anisotropy. The CAI images show the fusion source is a cigar-shaped region around the pinch column with no indication of plasma column instabilities. The proton anisotropy is comparable to the measured neutron anisotropy.