Spatially and temporally resolved crystal spectrometer for diagnosing high-temperature pinch plasmas on Z

We have developed a spatially and temporally resolved crystal spectrometer for analyzing a variety of pinch experiments on Z. The spectrometer uses a convex curved crystal to disperse spectra onto a flat microchannel plate (M CP) framing camera detector. A single wide, 1 cm, strip on the MCP is gated to provide temporal resolution. The spectral range governed by the 4 cm le ngth of the MCP strip varies with the central Bragg angle and crystal. For a KAP crystal a typical range is 1500-2000 eV. This range can be shifted by translating the crystal along the optical axis to access different Bragg a ngles. The spectrometer can therefore measure K shell spectra of a wide var iety of elements such as Al, Ti, and Fe. The short 1 cm width of the strip is spatially resolved with an imaging cross slit. With a 500 mu m cross sli t and magnification 1 the spatial resolution at the pinch is 1 mm. The inst rument may also be fielded with seven time frames using a seven strip-line microchannel plate as the detector by sacrificing the spatial resolution. W e will present data obtained from an aluminum pinch on Z. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0034-6748(99)54101-4].