Hard X-ray sources from miniature plasma focus devices

Verónica Raspa (1, 2) , Patricio Silva (3) , José G. Moreno (3) , Marcelo Zambra (3) , Leopoldo Soto (3)

1 INFIP - Instituto de Física de Plasma [Buenos Aires]
2 PLADEMA - PLADEMA
3 Plasma Physics and Plasma Technology Laboratory

As first stage of a program to design a repetitive pulsed radiation generator for industrial applications two miniature plasma foci have been designed and constructed at the Comisión Chilena de Energía Nuclear. The devices operate at an energy level of the order of tens of joules (PF-50J, 160 nF capacitor bank, 20-35 kV, 32-100 J, ~150 ns time to peak current) and hundred of joules (PF-400J, 880 nF, 20-35 kV, 176-539 J, ~300 ns time to peak current). Hard X-rays are being studied in these devices operating in hydrogen. Images of metallic plates with different thickness were obtained on commercial radiographic film, Agfa Curix ST-G2, in order to characterize the energy of the hard X-ray outside of the discharge chamber of PF-400J. An effective energy of the order of 90keV was measured under those conditions. X ray images of different metallic objects also have been obtained.

Domaines: Physique des plasmas [physics.plasm-ph]

Verónica Raspa, Patricio Silva, José G. Moreno, Marcelo Zambra, Leopoldo Soto. Hard X-ray sources from miniature plasma focus devices. 2004. ⟨hal-00001991⟩