Energy loss of heavy ions in a hydrogen discharge plasma

The energy loss heavy ions in a plasma environment was measured by a time-of-flight method (TOF). It was possible to determine the energy loss for six different ion sepcies, high 40 Ca, high 74 Ge, high 84 Kr, high 110 Pd, high 209 Pb and high 238 U, in a linear discharge plasma of hydrogen in Z-pinch geometry. The plasma parameters, ecectron density n, and temperature T sub e, were measured by spectroscopic methods and laser absorption. The maximum density and temperature are found to be 3x10 high 17 e high minus/square centimeter and 2.1 eV. respectively. Compared to cold hydrogen gas of the same particle density the energy loss in a plasma environments is enhanced by a factor of 2 or more. The experimental data are in good agreement with theoretical predictions.