X-ray backlighting density measurements of tungsten and aluminum wire and wire array Z-pinches

Summary form only given. Calibrated density measurements in both the coronal plasmas and dense cores of exploding W wire and wire array Z-pinches, powered by the /spl sim/450 kA, 100 ns XP-pulser at Cornell University, have been made using two-frame X-ray backlighting in conjunction with known thickness W step wedges. The backlighting images are made by Mo wire X-pinch radiation filtered by 12.5 /spl mu/m Ti impinging upon a "sandwich" of films (Micrat VR, Kodak GWL, Kodak DEF) which have different sensitivities to increase the dynamic range of the method. A W step wedge filter is placed in front of the films, giving absolute line density calibration of each exposure with estimated errors ranging from 20 to 50%. Assuming X-ray absorption by the W plasma is the same as for the solid material, we are able to measure W areal densities from 3.2/spl times/10/sup 19/ to 2/spl times/10/sup 17//cm/sup 2/. These can be converted to number density assuming azimuthal symmetry.