X-ray emission from 125 µm diameter aluminium wire x-pinches at currents of 400 kA

Results obtained from aluminium wire x-pinch experiments at a current level of ∼400 kA, 260 ns risetime, are presented. The x-pinches were made from two 125 µm diameter wires. The x-pinches typically emitted 15 J of K-shell x-rays in nanosecond duration pulses from hot spots of diameters of ∼10 µm or less. Frequently several hot spots were formed in a single discharge. Spectroscopic measurements estimate an electron temperature of about 600 eV. Spatial resolution of typically 10 µm was obtained in radiographic images. Details of the dynamics of the pinch were obtained from time resolved soft x-ray frames, showing formation of the plasma jet due to the coalescence of the expanding corona plasmas from the x-pinch limbs and ejection of plasma in the direction perpendicular to the x-pinch axis when hot spots were formed.