Soft X-ray beam induced current technique

Experimental investigation of beam heating in a soft X-ray scanning transmission X-ray microscope.

A variable temperature sample holder with an operational range of 15 to 200 °C and an accuracy of ±1 °C has been fabricated for scanning transmission X-ray microscopes (STXM). Here we describe the device, and use it to image the polycrystalline morphology of solid stearic acid and palmitic acid at temperatures near their respective melting points as a means of checking for possible sample heati...

Optimum driving a Z-pinch for soft X-Ray lasers

A capillary plasma z-pinch as an alternative active medium of soft X-Ray lasers was studied experimentally and theoretically. The theoretical analysis was based on the self consistent solution of the so called “snow plow” model. The dynamics of pinched plasma is determined by the capillary parameters and by the time dependence of electrical current passing through it. The current time dependenc...

Electromagnetic-field distribution measurements in the soft x-ray range: full characterization of a soft x-ray laser beam.

We report direct measurement of the electromagnetic-field spatial distribution in a neonlike Ar capillary discharge-driven soft x-ray laser beam. The wave front was fully characterized in a single shot using a Shack-Hartmann diffractive optics sensor. The wave front was observed to be dependent on the discharge pressure and capillary length, as a result of beam refraction variations in the capi...

2D electron temperature diagnostic using soft x-ray imaging technique.

We have developed a two-dimensional (2D) electron temperature (T(e)) diagnostic system for thermal structure studies in a low-aspect-ratio reversed field pinch (RFP). The system consists of a soft x-ray (SXR) camera with two pin holes for two-kinds of absorber foils, combined with a high-speed camera. Two SXR images with almost the same viewing area are formed through different absorber foils o...

Testing the technique: Resonant soft x-ray scattering