Experimental studies on X-ray and ion beam emitted from a small gas-puff Z-pinch plasma device

Abstract

Summary form only given. Experimental studies on X-ray emission and energy spectra of the ion beam have been conducted on a small gas-puff Z-pinch plasma device (ZP). The ZP consists of a capacitor bank and a discharge chamber, which includes a fast gas valve, an ultrasonic nozzle, and a pair of electrodes. The effects on the X-ray yield of nozzle configuration, gas filling pressure, the charged voltage of the capacitor bank, and pinch current have been investigated. In addition to the powerful soft-X-ray pulse, a powerful ion beam is simultaneously produced. Such an ion beam usually reduces the quality of the X-rays for application. In order to improve the quality of the X-rays a compact Thomson analyzer was used to study the energy spectra, ion species, and charge state of the ion beam.