Spectroscopic analysis of x-ray bursts from nichrome and conichrome X-pinch plasmas

Radiative properties of plasmas from X pinches with nichrome and conichrome wires have been studied using the presented diagnostic arrangement. The experimental results have been produced at the Cornell XP facility with a peak current of 450 kA and a full width at half maximum pulse duration of 100 ns. The spatially resolved, time-integrated x-ray line spectra from the region of the X-pinch cross point have been recorded using different crystal spectrometers. In particular, K-shell and L-shell x-ray spectra of Ni and Cr have been recorded through different filters in the same pulses for X pinches from two different wire alloys. A nonlocal thermodynamic equilibrium collisional-radiative atomic kinetic model of Ni has been developed to identify the useful diagnostic spectroscopic features and to model experimental spectra. The results of the modeling and radiative properties of different materials from nichrome and conichrome alloys are compared and discussed. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.