Sergey P. Tsybenko1, Ryszard Miklaszewski2
1 Dense Plasma Physics Laboratory, P. N. Lebedev Physical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Prospect 53, 117924 Moscow, Russia,
2 Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion, Warsaw, Hery 23, Poland
A global instability theory of pinching plasmas allows us to justify the well-known empirical facts of the use of a mismatched dense plasma focus (DPF) and heavy inert gas admixtures. We assume that an instability of tangential discontinuity is responsible for the instability of a current-carrying plasma column. To inhibit development of a tangential discontinuity in a plasma focus, an array of insulator fibers or metallic wires placed on the anode near the axis of a discharge camera can be used.