Titanium K-shell x-ray production from high velocity wire array implosions on the 20-MA Z accelerator

Abstract

The advent of the 20-MA Z accelerator [R. B. Spielman, C. Deeney, G. A. Chandler et al., Phys. Plasmas 5, 2105 (1997)] has enabled implosions of large diameter, high-wire-number arrays of titanium to begin testing Z pinch K-shell scaling theories. The 2 cm long titanium arrays, which were mounted on a 40 mm diameter, produced between 75±15 to 125±20 kJ of K-shell x rays. A mass scan indicates that, as predicted, higher velocity implosions in the series produced higher x-ray yields. Spectroscopic analyses indicate that these high velocity implosions achieved peak electron temperatures from 2.7±0.1 to 3.2±0.2 keV and obtained a K-shell emission mass participation of up to 12%.