Filamentary Structure Performance

in Dense Plasma Focus

Hamid Reza Yousefi

University of Toyama, Japan

IWPDA2009
2-3 July
1-Current filaments formation and application in
dense plasma focus(DPF)

2-Hot spots formation and mechanisms in

dense plasma focus(DPF)
Auroral filaments derived from
Birkeland currents Solar Coronal Streamers

Solar Coronal Streamers Comet tail

 Filamentary structures in cosmos
NGC 6751, the Glowing Eye Nebula. Credit: NASA,
Nebula is a cloud of gas ejected several thousand years
ago from the hot star

NGC 6751, enlarged structure

Most PNe show evidence of filamentary

micro-structures
 Intense lightning and Solar flare

Solar flare driven by very strong

Intense lightening shows current magnetic field
filaments
Core Part of DPF Device

Insulator Anode 50

100
242
unit: mm
Core Part of DPF Device
Cathode, consist of 24 rods

Insulator Anode 50 100

100
230
unit: mm
 Current filaments penumbra in DPF
Prof. Maria Magdalena Milanese IEEE transaction on plasma science 2007,

5 6
7
4
8
Anode 3
9
2
1 10
12 11
Radial compression Coaxial to radial stage
Initial breakdown Coaxial
Focusstage

9 10 12 13 14
7 11
6 8 15
5 16
17 Our result
4 18
3
19
shows current
2 20
1 2 1 2 1 21 filaments
track on the anode
head
Radial compression Final constriction or Focus
 Filamentary structure in plasma focus

1Radial filaments in a plasma layer during its axial motion and its
radial collapsein DPF, M.Sadowski etal,Plasma Sources Sci. Technol.
17 (2008) 024001 (13pp)

Current Filament in plasma filaments during the

DPF from top view radial collapse phase and quasi-
By W.H.Bostick axial filaments

W.H.Bostick, IEEE Transactions on plasma science.vol.ps-14,No.6.1986

 Current- Carrying loops in Plasma
Focus
3W.H.Bostick

Our result:
Current filament track on the anode head

Mather and Bostick both believed the filamentary structure in plasma focus, but Bostick
concluded in his paper that the mechanism of neutron production from the dense plasma
focus is the coalescing of “paired “filaments at the end of the center electrode which
was in contrast with Mather's idea: Mather also believe the filamentary structure and
paired effect but he also believed that at 1 µs , the filamentary pattern diminishes and
uniform glow devoid of any noticeable filamentary structure
W. H. Bostick, et al., "Pair production of plasma vortices," Phys. Fluids, vol. 9, p. 2079, 1966.

J.W.Mather and A.H.Williams, Phys. Fluids, vol. 9, p. 2081, 1966.

3W.H.Bostick, IEEE Transactions on plasma science.vol.ps-14,No.6.1986

Other scenario of current filamentation

PIC simulation of current filamentation

driven by external electric field in proton-boron-electron plasma

Initially, proton, boron and electron plasmas are uniformly

distributed throughout the system. In order to produce the
current in the z direction, we drive the electric field Ez
uniformly in the simulation domain.

During the period between ωpet = 2.5 and 25.0 when the external
electric field is imposed in the system, the current induced
in the system alternative current and its intensity is
weak with small scale structure
Time evaluation of the spatial distribution of current density Jz/(neqc)

ωpet = 50 ωpet = 60 Time history of Magnetic

field energy

ωpet = 70 ωpet = 80
ωpet

ωpet
 ωpet= 110 ωpet= 130

ωpet= 150 ωpet= 170

ωpet= 170

Time evaluation of the spatial distribution of current density Jz/(neqc)

Magnetic field vector ωpet = 170 Electron density

Proton density ωpet = 170 Boron density

 ωpet = 1000.

Current density at ωpet = 1000. Magnetic field vector Bx vs. By ωpet = 1000.

The initial phase of the current generation with the cell structure is similar in
Character to the well-known Weibel instability that is caused by the
temperature anisotropy..

We found that after turning of the external electric field, the system becomes
unstable against the Weibel-like instability, resulting in the formation of many
small current filaments, In the nonlinear stage of the instability,the current loops
continue to coalesce and finally two current filaments with shell structure of which
current is reverse each other are formed.
.
 Next experiment we did, is another scenario of current
filamentation in the atmospheric pressure

1 3

Atmosphere pressure

25mm,
High45kV
Voltage

d
Time interval between two frame
10ms Ф=6.25cm, d=2.5cm
2 4
5

6
One assumption for current filamentation in DPF

Low temperature plasma (Te< 5ev) constitutes a mixture

of electrons, ions and neutral atoms
High temperature plasma (with Te>10ev) Almost completely
ionized a mixture of electrons, nuclei

Initial temperature in dense plasma focus

(DPF) is around 5-10ev

Therefore, in the initial phase of DPF energy is not

enough to completely ionized the current sheath
then current filamentation driven, can be the result of a
minimal energy configuration in which the current
circulates mainly in to the channels to produce current
filaments.
 We can conclude schematic diagram of current
filamentation , current coalescences and pinch
formation in DPF

Anode Anode

Insulator
Cathode rod
Cathode rod
Magnetic reconnection and Plasmoid formation when
two current filaments approach each other and collide
Plasmoid
J J Current-loop

Bθ1 Bθ2
Magnetosonic shock Magnetosonic shock
wave wave

Plasmoid Hot spots

From top
view After Magnetic
reconnection

Magnetic energy
BθT=0
convert to kinetic
energy
 Therefore we can say,

When two current-loops or two current filaments approach each other

and collide, the plasma between them compressed and plasma column is
formed then magnetic reconnection occurs. When two current-loops or
filament collide in the case of complete reconnection plasmoid can
Originate And inside of this region host spots are formed.
This plasmoid can move outward

Our suggestion
One might suspect that such hot spots are
formed during the magnetic reconnection
of current filaments in DPF
 When two current filaments with angular
momentum approach each other Spiral galaxy taken
with the Spitzer
Space Telescope

Anthony L.Peratt simulated the spiral galaxy formation by interaction of

parallel current-carrying magnetic field filaments
Ion pinhole camera using SSNTD (CR-39)
CR-39
film

91 mm
12µm Al filter
Pinhole Experiment condition:
ф=0.3mm D2 gas , 30kV,
peak current 700kA,
5 focus shot,

15 degree 263 mm

Cathode
Anode
 Helical arm
Helical arm

(a) at 15o (b) at 10o

Ring shape
with two shell

(c) at 5o (d) at 0o
Ion tracks obtained with the 12µm aluminum filtered pinhole camera with CR-39
film at different angles with respect to the anode axis. (a) At 15o (b) at 10 o (c) at
5o to the electrode axis inside the PF facility and (d) on the electrode axis inside
the PF facility
 Our recent result of single pinhole camera

We interpret this as a
vortex of ions like the
Whirlpool galaxy,
with central
concentration

Image shows NGC 4736 Ion tracks obtained with the 12 µm aluminum
Galaxy, credit by NASA.
filtered single pinhole camera with CR-39 film

We can also interpret,

particles wrap into a spiral due to the fact
that the inner part particles will revolve around the
center faster than the outer part particles
Thank you for your attention
The plasma universe may be eternal and infinite, directly contradicting the Big bang model. In this picture,
swirling streams of electrons and ions form filaments that span vast regions of space. Where pairs of these
filaments interact the particles gain energy and at narrow “pinch” regions produce the entire range of
galaxy types as well as the full spectrum of cosmic electromagnetic radiation. Thus galaxies must lie
along filaments, as they are observed to do on a large scale. The bulk of the filaments are optically
invisible from a distance, much like the related Birkeland currents that reach from the Sun and cause
auroras on Earth. —Credit: A. Peratt, Plasma Cosmology, 1992