Characterization of the axial plasma shock in a table top plasma focus after the pinch and its possible application to testing materials for fusion reactors

The characterization of plasma bursts produced after the pinch phase in a plasma focus of hundreds of joules, using pulsed optical refractive techniques, is presented. A pulsed Nd-YAG laser at 532 nm and 8 ns FWHM pulse duration was used to obtain Schlieren images at different times of the plasma dynamics. The energy, interaction time with a target, and power flux of the plasma burst were assessed, providing useful information for the application of plasma focus devices for studying the effects of fusion-relevant pulses on material targets. In particular, it was found that damage factors on targets of the order of 10⁴ (W/cm²)s^1/2 can be obtained with a small plasma focus operating at hundred joules.