X-ray temporal, spatial and spectral study of 0.9 MA X-pinch Ti, Fe, Mo, W and Pt radiation sources. Energetic electron beam and hard X-ray generation

The X-ray emission of Ti, Fe, Mo, W, and Pt X-pinches currently being studied at the Nevada Terawatt Facility (0.9-1.0 MA, 100 ns). New X-ray diagnostics for time-resolved spectroscopy and imaging has been developed and used in X-pinch experiments. Total X-ray/EUV yield was more than 10 kJ. The minimum X-ray pulse duration was 1.1 ns. For Ti, Mo and W it was observed that X-ray pulses occurred in two or three groups in the narrow time intervals after the start of the current. Most of the compact emitting region has been observed for a planar-loop Mo X-pinch. Strong jets were observed (Ti, Fe, Mo) directed toward the discharge axis, perpendicular to the wires. A structure of the X-pinch includes energetic electron beams directed toward the anode and along wires. A pulse anisotropic hard X-ray radiation was observed moving upwards along the axial axis with an energy of several hundred keV (Mo). The size of the source was smaller than 1 mm.