Soft X-Ray Spectroscopic Study of a Gas-Puff Z-Pinch Argon Plasma

Abstract — X-ray radiation characteristics of argon plasma produced by a gas-puff Z-pinch device were investigated using an X-ray crystal spectrometer, an X-ray diode, and an extreme ultraviolet (XUV) spectrometer. Using a germanium crystal we have observed spectral emission from Ar XVII produced by hot spots at the pinched stage. With the help of a 2-m grazing incidence XUV spectrometer, the spectrum of 30 to 250 A ̊ were obtained. Strong lines from Ar VIII to Ar XIII were observed with a continuum whose peak is around 120 Å. The radiation energy in the spectral range is estimated to be about 23 joule which is about 0.6 % of the electrical energy stored in capacitors. Index Terms—Gas-puff Z-pinch, spectroscopy, X-ray. I