Dynamic Characteristics of X-pinch Experiments Conducted in a Small Capacitive Generator:Refractive Optical Observations.

Abstract

Among the dense plasmas configurations of interest for applications as a portable intense source of X-rays, the X-pinches are the most attractive by their brightness, source size, short duration and space localization, being particularly reproducible when they are conducted with fast pulsed power generators. In recent time, several characteristics of the dynamics and emission have been reproduced in compact generators (typically capacitive generators) of low current rise-rate (less than 0.5 kA/ns). In this work, a preliminary characterization of the dynamic of X-pinch plasma conducted in a small capacitive generator is reported. In order to obtain the plasma dynamics and quantitative information of the plasma density, the dark field Schlieren technique and interferometry were implemented. The experiments were carried out on the multipurpose generator (1.2 μF, 345 J, 47.5 nH, T/4=375 ns and Z = 0.2 Ω in short circuit) capable to produce currents up to 122 kA with 500 ns quarter period, when a charging voltage of 24 kV and metallic X-pinches are used as load. The electrical behavior of the discharge and the X-ray emission are monitored with a Rogowski coil and filtered PIN diodes respectively. For the refractive optical diagnostics a 532 nm frequency- doubled Nd-YAG laser was used. As from a single Schlieren record per shot, a sequence with the time evolution of the plasma is constructed. From the images, a similar dynamic of X- pinches conducted in fast generators of high current is observed, where structures such as coronal plasma, plasma flares and plasma jets are identified. The plasma dynamics observed from a VUV gated pinhole image system is compared with registered dynamic with refractive optical techniques.