keV X-ray Source Research Articles

Practical design of the focusing system for transmission and reflection targets in X-ray sources

The incident beam quality at the target determines the resolution and intensity of micro-focus X-ray sources, which depends greatly on the focusing system and the target. To meet different spatial layouts of the focusing system with transmission and reflection targets, three-dimension (3-D) modelling of the focusing system was built with Monte Carlo simulation and coordinate transforming method in this paper. In the proposed approach, the focusing system was first optimized by a 2-D model to achieve a fine beam spot with high effective current at the optimum working distance for the transmission and reflection targets. Then, 3-D practical model of the focusing system was achieved by tracing N electrons from the electron gun in three directions using the 5-order Runge-Kutta method. Finally, examples of the focusing system for 90 keV and 30 keV X-ray sources were given to get the energy distributions at transmission and reflection targets. Results show that resolutions of 4 μm and 500 nm have been achieved for 90 keV X-ray source with the transmission target and 30 keV X-ray source with the reflection target respectively. Compared with the experimental results, 2-D modelling of the focusing system is also applicable for X-ray source with the transmission target while 3-D modelling of the focusing system is essential for X-ray source with the reflection target. In addition, the 3-D electron beam model will simplify the design of the real apertures, liner tubes, beam blankers etc.

COTS Tolerant to Total Ionizing Dose (TID): AlGaN/GaN-based transistor 10 KeV X-ray Analysis

Gallium nitride commercial transistors (GaN FET) are great candidates as power devices tolerant to the effects of Total ionizing dose (TID). Therefore, we have evaluated its robustness by analysing parameters in its characteristic parameters. Devices were exposed to a 10 keV X-ray source accumulating a total of 350 krad(Si). However, results indicate that the tested components are more tolerant to the effects of TID when in on-state mode rather than the off-mode, that is, when the device is working, which is good news for COTS applications in environments subject to the effects of ionizing radiation.

Conversion efficiency of multi-keV L-shell-band X-ray emission

This study explored the influence of foil thickness, laser pulse width, and laser intensity to optimize the multi-keV X-ray conversion efficiency of a sandwiched (CH/Sn/CH) planar target under laser irradiation at the Shenguang II laser facility. The X-ray photon field values were measured using a set of elliptically bent crystal spectrometers and the conversion efficiencies (ξx) of photon energies were in the range of 3.7-4.3 keV. The experimental results indicate that the X-ray yields of 3.7 to 4.3 keV radiation strongly depend on the laser pulse width, target thickness, and laser intensity. The results also demonstrate that three-layer thin foils can provide an efficient multi-keV X-ray source because they can change the distribution of emitted multi-keV X-rays and target dynamics versus nanosecond laser pulses to produce large, hot, and underdense plasma. However, the underdense plasma produced as a rarefaction wave causes the overdense plasma generated by the laser pulse to expand. Therefore, the laser parameters and foil thickness must be carefully optimized to produce an efficient 3.7 to 4.3 keV X-ray source. Otherwise, the rarefaction waves from both sides of the thin foil may suppress multi-keV X-ray emission. This study represents an important advancement in the development of an efficient multi-keV L-shell-band X-ray source.

Coded apertures with scatter and partial attenuation for high-energy high-resolution imaging

Laser-plasma x-ray sources have garnered interest from various communities due to their ability to generate high photon-energies from a small source size. The passive imaging of high energy x-rays and neutrons is also a useful diagnostic in laser-driven fusion capsules as well as laboratory astrophysics experiments which aim to study small samples of transient electron-positron plasmas.Here we study a coded aperture with scatter and partial attenuation included, which we call a ‘CASPA’, and compare them to the more common method of pinhole imaging. As well as discussing the well-known increased throughput of coded apertures, we also show that the decoding algorithm relaxes the need for a thick substrate. We simulate a 511 keV x-ray source through ray-tracing and Geant4 simulations to show how incomplete attenuation of the source by the mask may be less detrimental to imaging using a CASPA than to using a standard pinhole system.

CT performance of compact X-ray source with small focal spot using a 950 keV linear accelerator

A 950 keV X-ray source with small focal spot using a linear accelerator has been developed. By installing a focusing mechanism of electron beam, smaller focal spot (0.3 mm in FWHM of the line spread function) is successfully achieved at 950 keV. 9.3 GHz (X-band) radio frequency is used for accelerating electrons in order to make the size of X-ray source smaller, compared to lower radio frequency such as 3.0 GHz (S-band). Size and weight of the developed X-ray source are W 600 mm × D 800 mm × H 500 mm and 230 kg, respectively. Clearer transmission images using a rectangular groove sample are obtained with small spot setup, compared to conventional one. CT images are also obtained for an engine block, and we demonstrated that advantage of 950 keV X-ray source for CT imaging such as improvement of interior visibility and decrease of artefact, compared to a 450 kV X-ray source. Therefore, we are convinced that this 950 keV X-ray source is widely useful for industrial non-destructive inspection of large structures, because of compactness, high transmission ability and spatial resolution.

A Wolter imager on the Z machine to diagnose warm x-ray sources.

A new Wolter x-ray imager has been developed for the Z machine to study the emission of warm (>15 keV) x-ray sources. A Wolter optic has been adapted from observational astronomy and medical imaging, which uses curved x-ray mirrors to form a 2D image of a source with 5 × 5 × 5 mm3 field-of-view and measured 60-300-μm resolution on-axis. The mirrors consist of a multilayer that create a narrow bandpass around the Mo Kα lines at 17.5 keV. We provide an overview of the instrument design and measured imaging performance. In addition, we present the first data from the instrument of a Mo wire array z-pinch on the Z machine, demonstrating improvements in spatial resolution and a 350-4100× increase in the signal over previous pinhole imaging techniques.

X-ray diagnostics of plasma generated during collisions of plasma flows

Diagnostics of the high-temperature plasma formed during plasma flow collisions by comparing observable intensities of various x-ray spectral lines to accurate kinetic calculation results is discussed. Kinetic calculations have shown that using the resonance line intensity ratio of He-like Ne IX and 3p–2s Li-like Ne VIII is the most convenient way to measure neon-containing plasma temperatures. Experimental research results of the pulse soft (0.1–1 keV) x-ray source with a total energy up to 50 kJ are shown. The radiation pulse is generated during a head-on collision of two low-temperature plasma flows immersed in a longitudinal magnetic field. The plasma flows with the velocities up to 4 × 107 cm/s and total energy up to 200 kJ are formed by a coaxial accelerator operating in pulse gas puffing mode. Neon was used as an inflating gas. Electron temperature for a plasma containing Ne ions is about 160–170 eV. Electron density around the collision region is in the range 1016–1017 cm−3.

Ultra-bright keV X-ray source generated by relativistic femtosecond laser pulse interaction with thin foils and its possible application for HEDS investigations

AbstractIt was shown (Faenov et al., 2015b) that the energy of femtosecond laser pulses with relativistic intensity approaching to ~1021 W/cm2 is efficiently converted to X-ray radiation and produces exotic states in solid density plasma periphery. We propose and show by one-dimensional two-temperature hydrodynamic modeling, that applying two such unique ultra-bright X-ray sources with intensities above 1017 W/cm2 – allow to generate shock waves with strength of up to some hundreds Mbar, which could give new opportunities for studies of matter in extreme conditions.

Computed Tomography Experiments on a Laboratory Multipurpose Diffractometer

Applications of soft (Co and Cu X-ray tube) and hard (Ag X-ray tube) radiation in computed tomography experiments on a laboratory X-ray diffractometer are presented. Using low energy (<10 keV) X-ray sources provide the possibility to investigate objects made of light (organic) materials in more detail compared to the high energy application. In case of metal or heavy element containing composites high energy (~20 keV) X-ray sources allow to obtain full 3D information on the samples without destroying them. These measurements allow both qualitative and quantitative analysis of porous materials, samples with oriented components, and solid compounds.

NuSTAR HARD X-RAY SURVEY OF THE GALACTIC CENTER REGION. II. X-RAY POINT SOURCES

ABSTRACT We present the first survey results of hard X-ray point sources in the Galactic Center (GC) region by NuSTAR. We have discovered 70 hard (3–79 keV) X-ray point sources in a 0.6 deg region around Sgr A* with a total exposure of 1.7 Ms, and 7 sources in the Sgr B2 field with 300 ks. We identify clear Chandra counterparts for 58 NuSTAR sources and assign candidate counterparts for the remaining 19. The NuSTAR survey reaches X-ray luminosities of ∼4× and ∼8 × 10 erg s at the GC (8 kpc) in the 3–10 and 10–40 keV bands, respectively. The source list includes three persistent luminous X-ray binaries (XBs) and the likely run-away pulsar called the Cannonball. New source-detection significance maps reveal a cluster of hard (>10 keV) X-ray sources near the Sgr A diffuse complex with no clear soft X-ray counterparts. The severe extinction observed in the Chandra spectra indicates that all the NuSTAR sources are in the central bulge or are of extragalactic origin. Spectral analysis of relatively bright NuSTAR sources suggests that magnetic cataclysmic variables constitute a large fraction (>40%–60%). Both spectral analysis and logN–logS distributions of the NuSTAR sources indicate that the X-ray spectra of the NuSTAR sources should have kT > 20 keV on average for a single temperature thermal plasma model or an average photon index of Γ = 1.5–2 for a power-law model. These findings suggest that the GC X-ray source population may contain a larger fraction of XBs with high plasma temperatures than the field population.

Simulation study of 3–5 keV x-ray conversion efficiency from Ar K-shell vs. Ag L-shell targets on the National Ignition Facility laser

Tailored, high-flux, multi-keV x-ray sources are desirable for studying x-ray interactions with matter for various civilian, space and military applications. For this study, we focus on designing an efficient laser-driven non-local thermodynamic equilibrium 3–5 keV x-ray source from photon-energy-matched Ar K-shell and Ag L-shell targets at sub-critical densities (∼nc/10) to ensure supersonic, volumetric laser heating with minimal losses to kinetic energy, thermal x rays and laser-plasma instabilities. Using Hydra, a multi-dimensional, arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian, radiation-hydrodynamics code, we performed a parameter study by varying initial target density and laser parameters for each material using conditions readily achievable on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) laser. We employ a model, benchmarked against Kr data collected on the NIF, that uses flux-limited Lee-More thermal conductivity and multi-group implicit Monte-Carlo photonics with non-local thermodynamic equilibrium, detailed super-configuration accounting opacities from Cretin, an atomic-kinetics code. While the highest power laser configurations produced the largest x-ray yields, we report that the peak simulated laser to 3–5 keV x-ray conversion efficiencies of 17.7% and 36.4% for Ar and Ag, respectively, occurred at lower powers between ∼100–150 TW. For identical initial target densities and laser illumination, the Ag L-shell is observed to have ≳10× higher emissivity per ion per deposited laser energy than the Ar K-shell. Although such low-density Ag targets have not yet been demonstrated, simulations of targets fabricated using atomic layer deposition of Ag on silica aerogels (∼20% by atomic fraction) suggest similar performance to atomically pure metal foams and that either fabrication technique may be worth pursuing for an efficient 3–5 keV x-ray source on NIF.

Developing a bright 17 keV x-ray source for probing high-energy-density states of matter at high spatial resolution

A set of experiments were performed on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) to develop and optimize a bright, 17 keV x-ray backlighter probe using laser-irradiated Nb foils. High-resolution one-dimensional imaging was achieved using a 15 μm wide slit in a Ta substrate to aperture the Nb Heα x-rays onto an open-aperture, time integrated camera. To optimize the x-ray source for imaging applications, the effect of laser pulse shape and spatial profile on the target was investigated. Two laser pulse shapes were used—a “prepulse” shape that included a 3 ns, low-intensity laser foot preceding the high-energy 2 ns square main laser drive, and a pulse without the laser foot. The laser spatial profile was varied by the use of continuous phase plates (CPPs) on a pair of shots compared to beams at best focus, without CPPs. A comprehensive set of common diagnostics allowed for a direct comparison of imaging resolution, total x-ray conversion efficiency, and x-ray spectrum between shots. The use of CPPs was seen to reduce the high-energy tail of the x-ray spectrum, whereas the laser pulse shape had little effect on the high-energy tail. The measured imaging resolution was comparably high for all combinations of laser parameters, but a higher x-ray flux was achieved without phase plates. This increased flux was the result of smaller laser spot sizes, which allowed us to arrange the laser focal spots from multiple beams and produce an x-ray source which was more localized behind the slit aperture. Our experiments are a first demonstration of point-projection geometry imaging at NIF at the energies (>10 keV) necessary for imaging denser, higher-Z targets than have previously been investigated.

Spectral content of buried Ag foils at 10(16) W/cm(2) laser illumination.

Sources of 5-12 keV thermal Heα x-rays are readily generated by laser irradiation of mid-Z foils at intensities >10(14) W/cm(2), and are widely used as probes for inertial confinement fusion and high-energy-density experiments. Higher energy 17-50 keV x-ray sources are efficiently produced from "cold" Kα emission using short pulse, petawatt lasers at intensities >10(18) W/cm(2) [H.-S. Park, B. R. Maddox et al., "High-resolution 17-75 keV backlighters for high energy density experiments," Phys. Plasmas 15(7), 072705 (2008); B. R. Maddox, H. S. Park, B. A. Remington et al., "Absolute measurements of x-ray backlighter sources at energies above 10 keV," Phys. Plasmas 18(5), 056709 (2011)]. However, when long pulse (>1 ns) lasers are used with Z > 30 elements, the spectrum contains contributions from both K shell transitions and from ionized atomic states. Here we show that by sandwiching a silver foil between layers of high-density carbon, the ratio of Kα:Heα in the x-ray spectrum is significant increased over directly illuminated Ag foils, with narrower lines from K-shell transitions. Additionally, the emission volume is more localized for the sandwiched target, producing a more planar x-ray sheet. This technique may be useful for generating probes requiring spectral purity and a limited spatial extent, for example, in incoherent x-ray Thomson scattering experiments.

High-resolution 22–52 keV backlighter sources and application to X-ray radiography

The requirement for sources of hard X-rays suitable for high resolution radiography through large ρR targets is prominent in many aspects of current laser-driven plasma physics research. In recent work using the OMEGA EP laser facility [L. J. Waxer, M. J. Guardalben, J. H. Kelly et al., CLEO/QELS, Optical Society of America, San Jose, CA, IEEE (2008)] at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) in Rochester, NY, experiments have been performed to measure characteristics of 22–52 keV X-ray sources using high intensity short-pulse lasers. High quality point projection, two-dimensional radiography was demonstrated by irradiating microwire targets with laser intensities of 1016 W cm−2–1019 W cm−2. Microwire targets were manufactured to dimensions of 10 μm × 10 μm × 300 μm and were supported by a 100 μm × 300 μm × 6 μm low-Z substrate. Measurements of the k–α conversion efficiency and X-ray source-size are discussed and, of particular importance for radiography, the spectral purity of the backlighter is characterized to assess the relative importance of the Kα emission to bremsstrahlung background.

X-ray source motion along the loop in two solar flares

We explore the 3-8 keV X-ray source motion along the loop legs in two solar flares observed by the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) on August 12 and November 28, 2002. Firstly, an artificial loop is constructed to have an outline with a fixed width wide enough to cover the X-ray sources at an energy band between 3-60 keV and at various times. Secondly, RHESSI images are reconstructed at 15 energy bands with an 8 s integration window but 1 s cadence. Thirdly, the X-ray source motions are traced from the brightness distribution along the flare loop. We find that these two events tend to start as a single source at 3-8 keV around the loop top, and then separate into two which move downward along the loop legs. These two almost reach the feet of the loop at the hard X-ray (i.e. at 25-50 keV) peak. After that, the two sources move back upward to the loop top and merge together at the same position where they began. The typical timescale is about similar to 70 s, and the maximum speed can reach 1000 km s(-1). Such a downward-to-upward motion along the loop is rarely seen in the observations, and it seems to be consistent with the density evolution at the loop top, first decreasing after heating and then increasing due to evaporation.

SELF-SHIELDING OF SOFT X-RAYS IN TYPE Ia SUPERNOVA PROGENITORS

There are insufficient super soft (~ 0.1 keV) X-ray sources in either spiral or elliptical galaxies to account for the rate of explosion of Type Ia supernovae in either the single degenerate or the double degenerate scenarios. We quantify the amount of circumstellar matter that would be required to suppress the soft X-ray flux by yielding a column density in excess of 10^{23} cm^{-2}. We summarize evidence that appropriate quantities of matter are extant in SN Ia and in recurrent novae that may be supernova precursors. The obscuring matter is likely to have a large, but not complete, covering factor and to be substantially non-spherically symmetric. Assuming that much of the absorbed X-ray flux is re-radiated as black-body radiation in the UV, we estimate that fewer than 100 sources might be detectable in the GALEX all sky survey.

X-ray radiation effects in multilayer epitaxial graphene

We characterize multilayer graphene grown on C-face SiC before and after exposure to a total ionizing dose of 12 Mrad(SiO2) using a 10 keV x-ray source. While we observe the partial peeling of the top graphene layers and the appearance of a modest Raman D-peak, we find that the electrical characteristics (mobility, sheet resistivity, free carrier concentration) of the material are mostly unaffected by radiation exposure. Combined with x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data showing numerous carbon-oxygen bonds after irradiation, we conclude that the primary damage mechanism is through surface etching from reactive oxygen species created by the x-rays.

The X-ray source content of the XMM-Newton Galactic plane survey

We report the results of an optical campaign carried out by the XMM-Newton Survey Science Centre with the specific goal of identifying the brightest X-ray sources in the XMM-Newton Galactic plane survey. In addition to photometric and spectroscopic observations obtained at the ESO-VLT and ESO-3.6 m, we used cross-correlations with the 2XMMi, USNO-B1.0, 2MASS, and GLIMPSE catalogues to advance the identification process. Active coronae account for 16 of the 30 positively or tentatively identified X-ray sources and exhibit the softest X-ray spectra. Many of the identified hard X-ray sources are associated with massive stars, possible members of binary systems and emitting at intermediate X-ray luminosities of 1032−34 erg s-1. Among these are (i) a very absorbed, likely hyper-luminous star with X-ray/optical spectra and luminosities comparable to those of η Carina; (ii) a new X-ray-selected WN8 Wolf-Rayet star in which most of the X-ray emission probably arises from wind collision in a binary; (iii) a new Be/X-ray star belonging to the growing class of γ-Cas analogues; and (iv) a possible supergiant X-ray binary of the kind discovered recently by INTEGRAL. One of the sources, XGPS-25, has a counterpart of moderate optical luminosity that exhibits HeII λ4686 and Bowen CIII-NIII emission lines, suggesting that this may be a quiescent or X-ray shielded low mass X-ray binary, although its X-ray properties might also be consistent with a rare kind of cataclysmic variable (CV). We also report the discovery of three new CVs, one of which is a likely magnetic system displaying strong X-ray variability. The soft (0.4–2.0 keV) band log N(>S) − log S curve is completely dominated by active stars in the flux range of 1 × 10-13 to 1 × 10-14 erg cm-2 s-1. Several active coronae are also detected above 2 keV suggesting that the population of RS CVn binaries contributes significantly to the hard X-ray source population. In total, we are able to identify a large fraction of the hard (2–10 keV) X-ray sources in the flux range of 1 × 10-12 to 1 × 10-13 erg cm-2 s-1 with Galactic objects at a rate consistent with what is expected for the Galactic contribution alone.

BREAKING THE σ 8 –Ω m DEGENERACY USING THE CLUSTERING OF HIGH- z X-RAY ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI

The clustering of X-ray selected AGN appears to be a valuable tool for extracting cosmological information. Using the recent high-precision angular clustering results of ~30000 XMM-Newton soft (0.5-2 keV) X-ray sources (Ebrero et al. 2009), which have a median redshift of $z\sim 1$, and assuming a flat geometry, a constant in comoving coordinates AGN clustering evolution and the AGN bias evolution model of Basilakos et al. (2008), we manage to break the Omega_m-sigma_8 degeneracy. The resulting cosmological constraints are: Omega_m=0.27 (+0.03 -0.05), w=-0.90 (+0.10 -0.16) and sigma_8=0.74 (+0.14 -0.12), while the dark matter host halo mass, in which the X-ray selected AGN are presumed to reside, is M=2.50 (+0.50 -1.50) X 10^13 h^{-1} M(solar). For the constant Lambda model (w=-1) we find Omega_m=0.24 (+- 0.06) and sigma_8=0.83 (+0.11 -0.16), in good agreement with recent studies based on cluster abundances, weak lensing and the CMB, but in disagreement with the recent bulk flow analysis.

High energy x-ray diffraction/x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy for high-throughput analysis of composition spread thin films

High-throughput crystallography is an important tool in materials research, particularly for the rapid assessment of structure-property relationships. We present a technique for simultaneous acquisition of diffraction images and fluorescence spectra on a continuous composition spread thin film using a 60 keV x-ray source. Subsequent noninteractive data processing provides maps of the diffraction profiles, thin film fiber texture, and composition. Even for highly textured films, our diffraction technique provides detection of diffraction from each family of Bragg reflections, which affords direct comparison of the measured profiles with powder patterns of known phases. These techniques are important for high throughput combinatorial studies as they provide structure and composition maps which may be correlated with performance trends within an inorganic library.