Experimental studies on a fast pulsed capillary discharge are presented. Th
e discharge operates in a 0.8 mm inner diameter capillary, at 12 kV applied
voltage. On axis discharge initiation is achieved by means of the hollow c
athode effect. A short, less than IO ns, XUV pulse is produced. Preliminary
time resolved spectroscopic studies indicate that a hot, fast evolving she
a duration capillary plasma is produced.