Measurement of the photon field, E > 150 eV on Sandia's Z Facility

The Z Facility at Sandia National Laboratories utilizes z-pinch implosions to produce up to 2 MJ of x rays. On Z, bremsstrahlung radiation is produced in various parts of the machine as a product of both power flow electrons and those accelerated in the pinch region. An understanding of the energy s pectra and intensity of this radiation is important to both the explanation of the z-pinch physics and the design of new diagnostics. A technique has been developed using a differential absorption spectrometer to measure the photon field for energies greater that 150 eV for bremsstrahlung from the z -pinch or the vacuum transmission lines. This article describes the techniq ues and results used to date. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S003 4-6748(99)74701-5].