Overview of Self-Magnetically Pinched-Diode Investigations on RITS-6

The electron-beam-driven self-magnetically pinched diode is a candidate for future flash X-ray radiographic sources. As presently fielded on Sandia Laboratories' six-cavity Radiographic Integrated Test Stand (RITS-6), the diode is capable of producing sub 3-mm radiation spot sizes and greater than 350 rads of hard X-rays at 1 m. The diode operates between 6 and 7 MV with a slowly decreasing impedance that falls from approximately 65 to 40 Ω during the main pulse. Sensitivity in diode operation is affected by the interaction of evolving plasmas from the cathode and anode, which seem to limit stable diode operation to a narrow parameter regime. To better quantify the diode physics, high-resolution time-resolved diagnostics have been utilized which include plasma spectroscopy, fast-gated imaging, X-ray p-i-n diodes, X-ray spot size, and diode and accelerator current measurements. Data from these diagnostics are also used to benchmark particle-in-cell simulations. An overview of results from experiments and simulations is presented.