A Gas-Discharge Source of Quasi-monochromatic Ultrasoft X-rays

The results of a study of radiation characteristics of a high-current pinch discharge of the plasma-focus type in the region of soft and ultrasoft X-rays are presented. Experiments were performed at a moderate energy of discharges in a mixture of H2 and Ne. It was shown that a comparatively narrow spectrum region of the generated radiation, which corresponds to the line emission of lithium-like ions Ne7+ with an average effective quantum energy Eeff≈ 0.16 keV, can be selected. The Ne7+ emission fluence was (0.2–1.0) × 1012 quant/cm2 per pulse with a duration τ0.5 = 40–100 ns. The results obtained demonstrate the feasibility of using such discharges in laboratories as pulse sources of quasi-monochromatic ultrasoft X-rays.