The comparison of the destructive effects of high energy protons produced in a plasma focus device on copper and molybdenum

The main features of damages that occurred on surface morphology as well as the structural parameters of Cu and Mo materials when irradiated to high-energy protons produced in the dense plasma focus device was investigated. The samples placed 6 cm from the anode head were irradiated in 20 shots with hydrogen ions. The samples examined with Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) before and after irradiation. SEM results showed that the radiation of high-energy protons on the surface of Mo and Cu has caused blisters, cracks, and melts on the surface of the specimens. X-ray diffraction analysis used to investigate changes in the structure of the specimens due to the radiation of high-energy protons. The Lee code was used to characterize the ionic beam of the plasma focus device. The results showed that 7.9 x 1014 ions are emitted from the plasma column in each shot. The SRIM code used to calculate the damage created in Mo and Cu, as well as the concentration of hydrogen at different depths of them. The results of SRIM revealed that the maximum of displacement per atom (DPA) for Mo and Cu samples irradiated with hydrogen ions at depths of 500 and 580 nm was estimated to be 0.024 and 0.009 dpa per shot, respectively. The maximum concentrations of hydrogen ions in the irradiated samples at depths of 550 nm, and 750 nm are 0.5%, and 0.11%, respectively.