Hybrid X-pinches

Abstract

Results from experimental studies of a hybrid X-pinch with an initial configuration in the form of a high-current diode with conical tungsten electrodes spaced by 1–2 mm and connected to one another with 20- to 100-μm-diameter wires are presented. The experiments were carried out at four facilities with a current amplitude from 200 to 1000 kA and front duration from 45 to 200 ns. It is shown that, in spite of their simpler configuration, hybrid X-pinches with a short rise time of the current pulse (50–100 ns) are highly competitive with standard X-pinches in the generated soft X-ray power and the formation of a single hot spot in them is much more stable, while hard X-ray emission is almost absent. The possibility of using hybrid X-pinches as soft X-ray sources for point projection X-ray imaging of plasma objects is considered.