Tentative study on high-photon-energy quasi-x-ray-laser generator by forming plasma x-ray source

Tentative study on high-photon-energy quasi-x-ray-laser generator by forming plasma x-ray source is described. The generator employs a high-voltage power supply, a low-impedance coaxial transmission line, a high-voltage condenser with a capacity of about 200 nF, a turbo-molecular pump, a thyristor pulse generator as a trigger device, and a flash x-ray tube. The high-voltage main condenser is charged up to 60 kV by the power supply, and the electric charges in the condenser are discharged to the tube after triggering the cathode electrode. The flash x-rays are then produced. The x-ray tube is of a demountable triode that is connected to the turbo molecular pump with a pressure of approximately 1 mPa. As the electron flows from the cathode electrode are roughly converged to the copper target by the electric field in the tube, the plasma x-ray source, which consists of metal ions and electrons, forms by the target evaporating. Both the tube voltage and current displayed damped oscillations, and their peak values increased according to increases in the charging voltage. In the present work, the peak tube voltage was much higher than the initial charging voltage of the main condenser, and the peak current was about 25 kA with a charging voltage of 60 kV. When the charging voltage was increased, the plasma x-ray source formed, and the characteristic x-ray intensities of K-series lines increased. When the plate target was employed, we observed high-intensity characteristic x-rays from the axial direction of the linear plasma x-ray source. In the case where the rod target was employed, we detected higher-intensity characteristic x-rays.