Study of New Configurations of Hybrid $X$ Pinches

A hybrid X -pinch (HXP) configuration consisting of solid conical electrodes connected by a wire as the load of a pulsed power generator has been tested on four different generators with currents varying from 200 kA to 1.2 MA and with rise times ranging from 50 to 170 ns. Wires of different materials, diameters ranging from 25 to 200 μm, and lengths from 0.5 to 3 mm were loaded through holes in the cone. It was possible to optimize the wire length and diameter for most materials tested so that the HXP would generate an intense single burst of soft X-rays with energy yield comparable with that obtained using standard X pinches. Furthermore, this soft X-ray source permits a greater variety of materials to be used, including combinations of different materials (e.g., parallel, twisted, or braided wires) or thin tubes with powders inside. Here, we report results obtained with one, two, or three parallel, twisted, or braided wires as well as with fine metal or plastic tubes with a wire inside or filled with melted metal with the goal of extending the spectral bands of HXP radiation and optimizing the energy yield in the soft X-ray burst.