Interferometric Method for Electronic Density Measurement in a Plasma Focus Device

Abstract

A Mach-Zehnder interferometer with pulsed nitrogen laser used for electronic density studies in the plasma focus device is described. The light pulse duration of 2 ns enables interferometric meaeurements to be made at any instant during the plasma evolution in n 20 kJ (20 kV) device. -4 numerical method for interferogram proceesing and computation of the electronic density is presented. Some preliminary plasma studies are discuseed.