Plasma-focus-based tabletop hard x-ray source for 50 ns resolution introspective imaging of metallic objects through metallic walls

Abstract

A tabletop 4.7 kJ, 30 kV plasma focus device was used as a pulsed hard x-ray source for fast radiography (50 ns exposure time) of metallic pieces even through several millimeter thick metallic walls. An experimental estimation of the effective average energy of the x-ray beam (found to be around 100 keV) and a numerical estimation of the induced voltage on the focus during the compressional stage of a plasma focus are briefly discussed. © 2006 American Institute of Physics.