Hot spot formation in the divergent gas-puff Z pinch

Summary form only given. The divergent gas-puff z-pinch has been devised for the realization of an efficient point radiation source of X-rays. Because of the axial inhomogeneity introduced at the initiation of discharge, the plasma converges to a small region, and the efficient energy input is obtained compared to the conventional z pinch.The experiment was conducted on the SHOTGUN-III z-pinch device. The device comprises a 12-PF capacitor bank, and it is possible to perform both positive and negative discharges. Ar gas of 5 atm was used, and the divergent gas-puff was per formed from the center electrode. X-ray spectroscopic measurement using a Johansson quartz c rystal spectrograph was conducted. Resonance and intercomb ination lines of He-like Ar ions and their satellite lines were o bserved. The spectra are currently being analyzed for plasma parameters. Observation of hot spots by using a pinhole camera with an x -ray CCD was performed. The CCD employed here was mad e by LLG (Laser Laboratorium Göttingen e.V.). As a result of the analysis, the hot spot was spherical with a diameter of ab out 50μm. It was found that one or closely located two hot sp ots were formed reproducibly. Observation of an organism using soft x-ray of 3.95 Å emitte d from the hot spot were made. In the observation of a tiny moth (Cephitinea colonella) the legs and antennae were clearly projected, and the effectiveness of soft X-ray observations of organisms was confirmed.