A Review of the Gas-Puff Z-Pinch as an X-Ray and Neutron Source

Fisher and collaborators at the University of California, Irvine, invented the gas puff Z-pinch in the late 1970s using a 200-kA generator. The implementation of gas puffs as a copious source of X-rays has encountered major challenges, such as disruptive instabilities and the quest for long implosion times. During nearly four decades of experimental and theoretical efforts, those challenges have been successfully met to a great extent. This success is a result of the efforts of a large number of researchers. Today, the gas-puff Z-pinch has evolved into a powerful source of X-rays and neutrons, and is fielded on multi-Mega-Ampere generators. The basic force imploding a pinch is straightforward, but the operation of a gas puff requires specialized hardware and a thorough understanding of the radiation physics involves magnetohydrodynamics coupled with nonequilibrium ionization kinetics. The goal of this review is to document the experiments and theory that have led to the success of the gas puff as a K-shell X-ray and neutron source. Consequently, this review takes a historical approach to the covered material, but also provides a broad introduction to relevant scientific concepts.