Characterization of X-ray emission from aluminum x-pinch plasmas driven by the 0.5 TW lion accelerator

Intense bright x-ray sources from dense z-pinch and x-pinch plasmas are being investigated for photo-pumping x-ray laser media. Crossed Al wire X-pinches with mass line density up to hundreds of micrograms per centimeter have been imploded by up to 600 kA current for 40 ns using a 0.5 TW pulsed power generator. High density bright spots are observed. Soft x-ray spectroscopy was used to infer plasma density of up to ∼1020cm-3, and temperature of 100 -300 eV. The optimum mass loading for different ionization stages of Al ions was examined. Parallel wire z-pinches yielded both lower density up to ∼1019cm-3, and lower temperatures (70 - 200 eV), than the X-pinch plasmas.