Redirection of Current in a Dense Plasma Focus

The Mission Support & Test Services (MSTS) reports that significant amounts of energy needed for generating high energy neutrons is lost within a Dense Plasma Focus between its pinch-end of the anode stalk and at its base near the insulating sleeve. It is their mission and the goal of this research effort to both experimentally and theoretically study current redirection in a DPF during and after pinch dynamics. It is hypothesized that current redirection, due to restrike, behind the dynamic sheath of a dense plasma focus will result in a measurable change in the magnetic field along the longitudinal axis of a DPF. It is further hypothesized that a linear monopole antenna will be able to measure the loss current and determine the location of redirection. Theory and software will be utilized to demonstrate the expected current distribution within a dense plasma focus and then be compared to experimental data measured by the linear monopole antenna.