Soft X-rays generated by the electron-cyclotron resonance discharge in heavy gases sustained by a high-power microwave beam in a magnetic trap

Abstract

The soft X-ray line emission from a pulsed electron-cyclotron resonance discharge in argon, maintained by a high-power millimeter-wavelength beam in a magnetic mirror trap, was studied using a multilayer mirror X-ray monochromator. The X-ray spectrum was measured, and the absolute spectral intensity of emission was determined in a 6–17 nm wavelength range. The discharge can be used as an effective source of soft X-rays with an efficiency of the microwave to X-ray power conversion on a level of 10% and a maximum spectral power density of 7.3 kW/nm at a wavelength of 9 nm.