Evolving Approaches to Pulsed X-ray Sources

Summary form only given, as follows. Production of pulsed radiation in the keV-to-MeV range for simulation of the nuclear weapon effects uses pulsed power generators with output powers of the order of 1-10 TW. Radiation in the high-energy (hot) part of the spectrum has been obtained using intense electron beams incident on the solid target of high Z material to produce radiation with continuous bremsstrahlung spectrum. Magnetically driven plasma implosions have been used to obtain radiation in the keV (cold) part of the spectrum, characterized by strong line emission. The efficiency of radiation, required for DTRA tasks, relative to stored pulser energy, is only a few percent. Radiation yields in the range of 5 to 30 keV (warm) are especially low, regardless of which method of radiation production is used. The article discusses the evolution of the technologies to develop this radiation and the new approaches for more efficient production and improvements to the spectral characteristics of the radiation. Integration of the pulsed power drivers, with innovative radiator load concepts, is utilized to expand the cold and hot X-ray test capability, to increase the warm X-ray yields, as well as to reduce capital costs of the test facilities. Evaluation of the new approaches is being conducted to assess the level of potential improvements of the output of existing pulsers, as well as to determine how the new approaches can benefit the future system designs, in terms of capital cost and reduced maintenance.