Flash X-Ray Radiography Topical Invited Paper

Abstract

In 1938, Steenbeck et al.1 succeeded in constructing the first generators capable of delivering intense X-ray pulse. The generation of X-ray flashes, especially with respect to efficiency and reproducibility, was achieved by W.P. Dyke and co-workers who were mainly concerned with field emission and its application for the production of X-ray pulse. These efforts eventually lead to the development of technically superior and commercially available flash X-ray devices which are now in use throughout the world for mainfold purposes. In scientific technological field, the flash X-ray radiography has long been known as an useful radiation source for the investigation of high speed phenomena and has been widely applied. The first part of this paper mainly introduces the work about flash X-ray radiography in China. That includes: flash X-ray radiography system, portable pulsed X-ray system and powerful pulsed X-ray sources. These equipments have been widely used in the fields of ballistics, detonation and biomedical studies. In the 2nd part, it mainly, describes the developments about flash X-ray radiography in the part of the world which includes: flash radiographic biomedical studies, X-ray pulse generators of high repetition rate, tomograpy and other applications.