Diagnostics of Multi-MeV Ions Produced in Deuterium Z-Pinch Experiments on GIT-12 Generator*

Hydrogen ions with energies >30 MeV were measured in deuterium z-pinch experiments on the GIT-12 generator (600 kV output voltage, 3 MA current level) by different diagnostics during several experimental campaigns since 2013. The annular structures were firstly observed by single ion pinhole camera placed on z-pinch axis behind the cathode. The stack of detectors contained various absorbers, CR-39 track detectors, HD-V2 and EBT-3 radio-chromatic films. However, this diagnostic could not explain all results. Therefore, the new types of ion diagnostic (beam profile detector, 3-pinhole, multi-pinhole, linear-multi-pinhole) were designed for a study of fast ion beams from wide angles from a z-pinch axis. Obtained data together with numerical simulation help us to (i) find a spatial distribution of ion sources in radial and axial directions and (ii) study of the anisotropy and the divergence of the ion beams.