Self-driven ion deflectometry measurements using MeV fusion-driven protons and accelerated deuterons in the deuterated hybrid x-pinch on the MAIZE LTD generator

• Published in: Plasma physics and controlled fusion Vol. 66; no. 7
• Main Authors: Munzar, Vojtech, Dowhan, George, Klir, Daniel, Novotny, Jan, Rezac, Karel, Chen, Joe, Cikhardt, Jakub, Cikhardtova, Balzima, Juras, Vojtech, Jordan, Nicholas, Kubes, Pavel, Malir, Jakub, Tafoya, Landon, Turek, Karel, McBride, Ryan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United Kingdom IOP Publishing 11.06.2024
• ISSN: 0741-3335; 1361-6587

Abstract We report on the results of point-projection ion deflectometry measurements from a mid-size university z-pinch experiment. A 1 MA 8 kJ LTD generator at the University of Michigan (called MAIZE) drove a hybrid x-pinch (HXP) with a deuterated polyethylene fiber load to produce a point-like source of MeV ions for backlighting. In these experiments, 2.7 MeV protons were generated by DD beam-target fusion reactions. Due to the kinematics of beam-target fusion, the proton energies were down-shifted from the more standard 3.02 MeV proton energy that is released from the center-of-mass rest frame of a DD reaction. In addition to the 2.7 MeV protons, strongly anisotropic beams of 3 MeV accelerated deuterons were detected by ion diagnostics placed at a radial distance of 90 mm from the x-pinch. Numerical reconstruction of experimental data generated by deflected hydrogen ion trajectories evaluated the total current in the vacuum load region. Numerical ion-tracking simulations show that accelerated deuteron beams exited the ion source region at large angles with respect to the pinch current direction.