X-ray Emission from a Table-top X-pinch Device

Based on a compact (2mx1mx1.5m) pulsed current generator (similar to 100 kA, 60ns), a table-top X-pinch device was constructed and tested. The load current was almost unchanged for X-pinches made using different wires (5 mu m, 8 mu m, 10 mu m and 13 mu m Wu wire, 13 mu m and 25 mu m Mo wire), which means that the impedance of the wires is much lower than the total impedance of the load section. When the above mentioned wires were used as two-wire load, X-ray pulses from X-pinch were always observed. As the mass of the two-wire load increases, the time delay of the x-ray emission relative to the beginning of the load current increases. As was expected, the X-ray pulse consists of single peak or two overlapping peaks of subnanosecond pulsewidth. The x-ray source is usually one point or two partly overlapping points, which is consistent with the measurement of x-ray pulse. The size of x-ray point source is ranging from 5 square m to 50 square m. Two X-ray pulses with a time interval on the order of 10 ns were often observed for a small mass load when the load current is high enough. The appearance of the second X-ray pulse is attributed to the second pinch of the plasma.