PF-6 an effective plasma focus as a source of ionizing radiation and plasma streams for application in material technology, biology and medicine

A review of results on the design and operation of the new efficient Dense Plasma Focus device PF-6 of medium size (transportable) having bank energy of ca. 7 kJ and possessing a long lifetime is presented. New data on the interaction of the pulsed fast ion beams and dense plasma streams generated at this apparatus with various materials are given. These results are compared with the analogous information received at the biggest facility PF-1000. It is shown that it is possible to have about the same power flux density (in the range of 105 109 W/cm2) in both devices however in different areas. Doses of soft X-rays produced by the device within the resists for the goals of microlithography and micromachining appear to be several times less that it is with the conventional X-ray tube. In biological application of this device, medium- and hard-energy X-rays are exploited in the field of radioenzymology. It was found that the necessary dose producing activation/inactivation of enzymes can be by several orders of magnitude lower if used at a high-power flux density in comparison with those received with isotope sources. In medicine, short-life isotope production for the goals of the positron emission tomography (medicine diagnostics) is possible by means of the fast ions generated within DPF. All these experiments are discussed in the framework of pulsed radiation physics and chemistry in its perfect sense thereto the criteria are formulated.