Overview of self-magnetic pinch diode investigations on RITS-6

Summary form only given. The self-magnetic pinch diode is currently fielded on the RITS-6 accelerator at Sandia National Laboratories operating between 7-12 MV and is the leading candidate for future radiographic source development at the Atomic Weapons Establishment. The diode is capable of producing sub 3-mm radiation spot sizes and greater than 350 Rads measured at lm. Complex physical processes affect the diode operation which in turn may affect its radiographic potential. High-resolution, time-resolved diagnostics have been utilized to help quantify the diode physics which include plasma spectroscopy, gated imaging, X-ray p-i-n diodes, spot size, and diode current measurements. The data from these diagnostics are also used to benchmark particle-in-cell simulations in order to better understand the underlying physics of operation. An overview of these experiments and simulations including future plans is presented.