X-ray backlighting of wire array <i>Z</i>-pinch implosions using <i>X</i> pinch

Abstract

The dynamics of wire arrays have been studied using a point-projection X-pinch x-ray backlighter installed in one of the return posts of the MAGPIE generator. Variations of diameter (15–50 μm aluminum) and number of wires (two or four) in the X-pinch enabled backlit images in the range of 140–200 ns after the current start. A temporal and spatial resolution of &amp;lt;1 ns and 5 μm is achieved. The radiographic images of aluminum wire array show that the wire cores are present at the original position until 80% of the implosion time and the size of the wire cores is 0.25 mm for aluminum and 0.1 mm for tungsten. A very fine structure of the order of 10 μm has been observed in titanium wire arrays.