High-power short-pulse xenon dimer spontaneous radiation source

A high-power VUV radiation source based on a self-sustained nanosecond volume discharge in an inhomogeneous electric field is developed. It is shown that the volume discharge can be formed at high xenon and helium pressures without using a preionisation source. The 8-ns (FWHM), 172-nm, 1-MW radiation pulses emitted into a total solid angle are obtained in xenon at a pressure of 12 atm.