HIGH-REPETITION-RATE COMPACT SOURCE OF NANOSECOND PULSES OF 5-100 KEVX-RAY PHOTONS

A powerful, compact, and repetitive flash x-ray system based on a cabl e transformer technology powered by ceramic capacitors in a Blumlein-l ike configuration has been developed. Open circuit voltages in excess of 100 kV can be achieved while commutation occurs at low voltage (<20 kV). The x-ray emission from a low impedance x-ray diode with a hollow cathode configuration was observed under a wide range of experimental conditions. The critical parameters limiting the flash x-ray performa nces are mainly the pressure in the x-ray diode and the anode-cathode space. This true table top device is able to produce doses up to 1 R p er shot, measured at the output window, of x-rays between 5 and 100 ke V. The pulse widths were about 20 ns and the maximum repetition rate w as about 60 Hz. Operation is possible in air or in other gases (He, Ne , Ar, Kr, Xe, H-2, N-2) at pressures varying from 10(-3) mbar for xeno n to about 1 mbar for helium. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.