Studying the Dynamics of Hybrid X-Pinches

Since the first experiments with hybrid X-pinches (HXP), it has been shown that a short wire between two conical tungsten electrodes produces the same radiation as a standard X-pinch. Since HXP has a simple construction, it is commonly used in many laboratories instead of standard pinches. Although details of the HXP dynamics remain poorly studied, the main factors governing HXP formation are investigated experimentally in this work. It is shown that the process of the electrode plasma formation is one of the main factors that lead to single hot spot bursts. Experimental results allow the fitting of HXP parameters and determination of the size of the source of X-ray radiation. It is also shown the radiation of HXP can be used as a source for point projection radiography in the wavelength range of soft to hard X-rays. Such sources can be also used for absorption spectroscopy and even electron beams.