Gas X-pinch: The progress, technology and results.

The plasma pinch on the basis of a gas jet with special density distribution is described. The gas jet was produced by means of a pulse gas valve with a nozzle that was capable of forming a gas flow with a maximum density in the center of the discharge gap. The diagnostic techniques involved measurements of the discharge current and the pinch voltage, the size of the radiation area and the X-ray intensity. The experiments with different gases (Ar, Ne and N2) showed that as a result of the discharge at this gas distribution the hot plasma area of "point" form (its typical size is 100 µm and lifetime 3-5 ns) arises in the middle of the discharge gap. This area is the X-ray source of energy of quanta 50-5000 eV. The radiation spectrum depends on the gas type. The experimental results are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]