X pinch: a source of I-10 keV x-rays

Several methods of using the X pinch as a source of x-ray radiation for the radiography of dense plasmas and other objects are presented. These methods do not use pinholes, instead taking advantage of the small source size (<1 mm, and in some cases <2 in at the higher energies) and short x-ray emission duration (<2 ns, and <20 ps in some cases for higher energies) of the X pinch radiation. Detailed measurements of the emission characteristics of X pinches made using different wire materials and in different energy ranges using a set of x-ray diagnostics with high temporal and spatial resolution are presented. Several applications of the X pinch are discussed.