Abstract
This paper describes the photographic behavior and electric characteristics of deuterium plasma in heavy current linear pulse discharges which were obtained in our experimental research. The behavior is clarified by means of high speed and ordinary cameras, and the electric characteristics are obtained by measuring the discharge current and terminal voltage between the electrodes of discharge tube.
According to the photographic research by a high speed camera, the plasma core is continuously kept at tube axis for a while after the first pinch occurred, and its shape does not change so much with discharge current. Moreover, the diameter of the above plasma core, which is taken by a high speed camera, is almost equal to the plasma shape of the photograph taken by an ordinary camera. We have found that the plasma column is maintained with a considerable stability, even though the distributed return circuit on the circumference of the tube is taken off by about 1/4 or less. In case of deuterium plasma, length of time from the start of discharge to the first pinch coincides fairly well with the calculated value obtained from Leontovich's equation.
