X-ray radiation from tungsten pulsed-power plasmas

Two sets of the new tungsten (W) experiments performed in 2017 on two university-scale Z-pinch generators with different architecture are considered: W Double Planar Wire Arrays at the University of Michigan’s low-impedance Linear Transformer Driver (LTD) MAIZE generator and W X-pinches at the University of Nevada, Reno’s high-impedance Marx bank Zebra generator. Though a comprehensive set of diagnostics was utilized in both types of experiments, here we focus mostly on x-ray spectroscopy and imaging results and their interpretation, as well as applications to electron beam studies and spectropolarimetry of W pulsed-power plasmas. Specifically, x-ray signals and yields, x-ray pinhole images and spectra, and electron beam current from both sets of experiments are analyzed and compared. Atomic physics of highly ionized W ions and modeling of complex M-shell W spectra are considered and ionization balance of W plasmas is inferred. Application of x-ray line polarization of M-shell W lines in future work is discussed.