An Approach to a Lee Model for Rotating Plasma

The Dense Plasma Focus (DPF) is such a simple device that it has awakened deep interest as a source of neutrons and as a possible alternative to the generation of energy by nuclear fusion. In essence, a DPF consists of two concentric electrodes between which a plasma sheet is formed by the action of an electrical discharge. Then, this sheet is accelerated until it collapses at the end of the device, generating a hot and extremely dense plasma. One of the most widely theoretical models used for describing the physical processes taking place in the DPF is Lee's as it fits very well to the experimental data. This model divides the operation of the DPF into five phases. On the other hand, the poisoning of the plasma by particles from the electrodes can be reduced by rotating the plasma through the presence of an axial magnetic field. However, this generates a series of processes that were not taken into account in Lee's original model. In this work, a variant of the Lee Model describing the rotational effects of plasma is presented. The new model brings new parameters and phenomena to be analyzed, such as the angular velocity and the swirl acceleration effect. The reduction of plasma temperature and also the reduction in neutron yield as observed experimentally, are also explained.