title: Beam deviation method as a diagnostic tool for the plasma focus.
abstract: The application of an optical method for density measurements in cylindrical plasmas is described. The angular deviation of a probing light beam sent through a plasma is proportional to the maximum of the density in the plasma column. The deviation does not depend on the plasma dimensions; however, it is influenced to a certain degree by the density profile. The method is successfully applied to the investigation of a dense plasma focus with a time resolution of 2 nsec and a spatial resolution (in axial direction) of 2 mm.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rückle