Studies and optimization of hybrid X-pinches

Abstract

Studies were carried out on the hybrid X-pinch (HXP) configuration for several wire materials using a 40 ns risetime, 300-kA pulsed-power generator with the goal of optimizing the HXP x-ray burst parameters for different applications. The gap distance between the conical electrodes of the hybrid X-pinch was varied from 0.5 to 5 mm for Al, Ag, Ti, and Mo using different wire diameters to maintain a consistent mass per unit length from one material to the next. It was found that 0.5–1 mm gap spacing was optimal to obtain a single x-ray burst, while the number of x-ray bursts increased with gap spacing for all materials at a rate of 1–2/mm. Time consistency studies of the first x-ray burst were carried out for Ti wire by changing the gap distance and wire diameter while observing the time of occurrence of the x-ray bursts. It was found that a 40 μm Ti wire load with a 3 mm electrode gap spacing had the highest probability to have the first x-ray burst reproducibly within a 2 ns time window. Time-resolved and time-integrated diagnostics provided information about the source size, time of occurrence, intensity, and the number of the x-ray bursts.