Electromagnetic radiation of a nanosecond discharge in an open gas-filled diode

The properties of the discharge in and radiation from an open gas-filled diode to which high-voltage nanosecond pulses are applied from the RADAN-220 generator are studied. Electromagnetic radiation in the X-ray, UV, visible, and near-IR ranges of the spectrum, as well as high-power subnanosecond (0.5-to 0.7-ns-long) pulses of ultra-wide-band (UWB) electromagnetic radiation, are recorded when a diffuse discharge is initiated in atmospheric pressure air. For the coaxial cathode and anode, the open gas diode emits radially polarized UWB pulses, whereas for the cathode in the form of a segment, the UWB radiation is linearly polarized. The effective potential for both designs of the diode is ER = 6 kV. It is shown that the plasma in the discharge gap serves as a source of soft X rays and the metallic anode generates hard X rays.