Spectroscopic and Imaging Study of Combined W and Mo -pinches at 1 MA -pinch Generators

Experiments with X-pinches made with both Mo and W wires have been performed on 1-MA pulsed power generators at Cornell University and University of Nevada, Reno. X-ray images and spectra have been studied and compared for three different configurations of X-pinch loads with Mo and W wires. For all X-pinches, the image size decreases with decreasing wavelength and photoconducting diode (PCD) signals show multiple bursts except for one variant of the mixed Mo and W configurations. Time-gated, as well as time-integrated, images indicate the presence of radiation from energetic electrons. Previous experience with application of L-shell Mo modeling to various Z- and X-pinch experiments helped to determine plasma parameters in the X-pinches studied here, and permitted identification of M-shell W spectral features useful for plasma parameter estimation