OPTIMIZATION OF X-RAY-EMISSION IN Z-PINCH IMPLOSIONS - THEORY VERSUS EXPERIMENT

Three sets of Z-pinch experiments were performed in recent years [Phys. Rev. E 50, 2166 (1994)] that confirmed the existence of a theoretically predicted region in (load mass)-(implosion velocity) space where efficient conversion of implosion energy to kilovolt x rays was possible [J. Appl. Phys. 67, 1725 (1990)]; but they also raised questions about the validity of the theoretical models [Phys. Plasmas 1, 321 (1994)] and about the influence of the pulse-power generator and load design on the detailed behavior of the measured x-ray yields. Newly completed experiments suggest that some of these influences can be overcome and that K-shell yields can be increased in greater accord with theoretical expectations. In this paper, a brief description of these experiments is given, and some comparisons with recent theoretical findings are made along with comparisons with the above-mentioned earlier work. These new comparisons demonstrate the need for further improvements in the theoretical models and in the way experiments are designed. © 1995 American Institute of Physics.