Temporal distribution of linear densities of the plasma column in a plasma focus discharge

Experiments were carried out on the PF-1000 plasma focus device, with a deuterium filling and with deuterium puffing from a gas-puff nozzle placed on the axis of the anode face. The current was reaching 2 MA. 15 interferometric frames from one shot were recorded with a Nd:YLF laser and a Mach–Zehnder interferometer, with 10–20 ns delay between the frames. As a result, the temporal and spatial distribution of the linear densities and the radial and axial velocities of the moving of plasma in the dense plasma column could be estimated.