Use of carbon felt as a cold cathode for a pulsed line x-ray source operated at high repetition rates

Abstract

Tests to determine the usefulness of carbon felt as a cold cathode in high repetition rate x-ray systems are described. Application of these test results to design and operation of an x-ray preionizer for an excimer laser system has resulted in a simple, reliable x-ray source which can be used at pulse rates up to 500 Hz for >2×107 shots before the carbon felt must be replaced.