Cornell University

The X-pinch, a Remarkable X-ray Source and High Energy Density Plasma
David Hammer
Laboratory of Plasma Studies Electrical and Computer Engineering Cornell University

Presenting the Work of

Sergei Pikuz, Tania Shelkovenko, Dan Sinars, Byungmoo Song, Kathy Chandler, Marc Mitchell, Jon Douglass, John Greenly and Ryan McBride

With Thanks to
The P.N. Lebedev Institute group (Zakharov, Pikuz et al. plus Jiri Ullshmeid) that conceived of the X pinch (1981) Maxwell Laboratories, Inc., for introducing the X pinch to the U.S. (1984) Nian-Sheng Qi, who helped start X pinch (x-ray laser) at Cornell (1987) Dan Kalantar, who investigated X pinches for x-ray lithography (1989) - and demonstrated x-ray backlighting is useful (Ph.D. 1993) And Andrey Lebedev, who convinced me to invite Sergei Pikuz (1992)

Outline
1. Introduction to X pinches (what and how, why, where) 2. X-pinch x-ray source Duration Size 3. Conclusions

What and how

Experimental Schematic Diagram

X pinch
Two-wire Multi-wire Double

XP pulser diode

Anode X-pinch

Start with crossed ne metal wires as the load of the 450 kA, 100 ns (fwhm) XP pulsed-power generator. Two X pinches in parallel also works.

Cathode Rog.2 Rog.1 Vacuum chamber

Insulator Water gaps PFL

Experimental Arrangement

 Start by exploding 2 or more 10-50 m metal wires in the form of an X using 250-450 kA, 100 ns pulse, generating X-shaped plasma. A 300-400 m long Z-pinch forms in the middle, implodes toward the axis, goes unstable, develops hot, dense plasma spots that emit an x-ray burst, and then opens up. The time from the start of the current can be reproducible to 1-2 ns.

Schleiren Images (<0.2 ns)

Why .

Not to pump an x-ray laser Not for x-ray lithography

It is a really interesting High Energy Density Plasma

Atomic physics/x-ray spectroscopy of dense high-Z plasmas Dynamics of current-driven dense plasmas Intense, short pulse x-ray source Many materials have been studied (Mo, W, Nb, Al, Ti, NiCr, Conichrome, Alloy 188, etc.). Intense x-ray bursts last 10-1000 ps (x-ray streak camera), and have energies of up to ~ 1 J in > 1.5 keV x-rays at 400 kA.
These numbers imply a source volume power density up to 1022 W/cm3 and a surface ux up to 1016 W/cm2. Time resolved x-ray spectroscopy -->, for example, Te as high as 2.5 keV and ne > 3x1023 cm-3 in Ti X-pinches (Sinars et al, JSQRT, 2003).

And they are good for imaging (for business and for fun)
Point-projection radiographs have mscale resolution, implying source sizes of ~1 m or less. The resolution was too good to be true. Also, the pulse is short.

Where?

Those Represented at DZP2005

Lebedev Institute Cornell Imperial College University of Nevada, Reno Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile Ecole Polytechnique Florida A&M University University of California, San Diego

Pulse Duration
Originally, we used 400 MHz oscilloscopes Then an X-ray streak camera with Al (D. Kalantar) - Subnanosecond Then a 1-2 GHz digitizer with Mo - Sub-half nanoscecond Recently, streak camera with ~ 10 ps resolution - Pulses as short as 10 ps (above 4 keV)

An x-ray streak camera was used to record enlarged radiographic images of ne opaque and semitransparent objects (wires, bers, bers with a metal core) through an entrance slit placed in front of the photocathode. Variation in the intensity distribution of the images through the various objects provides time dependent information on the source size and spectral characteristics.

Experimental setup for time resolved X pinch x-ray source size measurements
X-ray streak camera Photocathode Wire grid Catode

Slit Filter B+W fibers Glass fibers

X pinch Anode

The image of a 1 ns x-ray streak

4-wire NiCr X pinch (geometric distortion corrected) A portion of the image is shown enlarged to show the decreasing pulse width with increasing photon energy. The x-rays reaching the photocathode through the 100 m glass core of the optical fiber (> 4 keV) have a pulse width of about 10 ps (resolution limit). The 20 m W core of the B fiber does not become transparent, which means there is not intense emission at or above 15 keV from this X pinch.

Streaked image of the wire grid in x-ray radiation of 4 x 20 m NiCr X pinch

Plastic shell Glass core (3) (4)

1 mm

100 m 1 ns
X-ray Intensity (Arb.units)

2 Rogowski
1/3 Current (kA)

(1)
150

(2) (5) B shell W core 0 100 200 300 T (ps)

1 PCD 0 0 50 100

100 50 0 150

Time (ns)

Pulse 3626

Radial Size of the Source Vs Time

The radial size of the first source is 10 m or less for more than 100 ps even as the photon energy of the radiation increases from the beginning of the burst to the intensity maximum. At the moment of maximum radiation intensity, this source seems to reach its minimum diameter, after which the radiation appears to drop very rapidly (with no visible expansion of the source size).

Time integrated and streaked images of W wire in B shell in x-ray radiation of 4 x 20 m NiCr X pinch
100 m 17 m 1 Plane time integrated radiograph image 1 W core B shell Streaked image 0 100 200 T (ps) Source 1 Source 2 5 2 3 4 5 Outlines of streaked image 10 m Outline of plane radiograph image

4 3 2

Pulse 3626

Source Size

Source sizes for various materials are measured by imaging known fine fibers/wires or slits

Wave-Optics-Enhanced Point-Projection Radiography Requires a Small Source

(Actual Wave-Optics Calculations for 8 m B and 3 )

Wavelength Spread

Finite source size & Wavelength spread

Experimental Arrangement

Source size using a wire and fiber

Nb X pinch; 93:1 Experimental magnification Calculations include source bandwidth 8 m Glass fiber image 7.5 m W wire image

Computed image for 1 0.2 m size

Computed image for 1 0.2 m size

The Middle of an X pinch

Thermal x-rays come from necks (by triangulation using images of a mesh). Electron-beams generate > 10 keV x-rays 100-500 m away on the anode side, adding background.

Conclusions
The X pinch is a very interesting high energy density plasma Pulse is a function of energy; can be < 100 ps Refraction is responsible for a majority of the edge-enhancement in radiographic images from X pinches Direct Determination of Source Size - 1. Agreement between fine objects in point projection and Fresnel-Kirchhoff integral - 2. In 3-5 keV, Nb: 1 m, Mo: 1.2 m, W: 1.6 m, NiCr: 2.8 m, Ti: 14 m - 3. 1-2 m source size up to 12 keV High-Quality Coherence-Enhanced Imaging requires controlling X pinches to produce one, intense micropinch with reduced E-beam radiation Smaller drivers are more convenient (UCSD, Ecole Polytechnique)

Just when we thought we had moved beyond our past . Dr. Claudio Alonso, University Lecturer in Cell Biology Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ United Kingdom I have an article just been accepted in Nature Reviews Genetics (NRG) about the elements that control animal development and their potential for evolutionary change - a subject area rather distant from your field of research, I would imagine. He asked if they could use our image for the cover