Radiation generation from exploding wire
Abstract
A theoretical investigation has been performed on the dual nature of the experimentally observed X-ray spectra emitted by high power exploded wire plasmas. The observed spectra consist of a steeply decreasing region for photon energies below about 8KeV followed by a nearly constant region above this value. The region of steep decrease is the result of Bremsstrahlung from plasma electrons having a Maxwellian distribution. The constant region was considered as being caused by non-thermal high energy electrons. The constant region was investigated in more detail. They calculated first the Bremsstrahlung spectrum that would result from mono-energetic electrons of 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 KeV incident on tungsten targets. All the spectra were found to have the same flat shape. The case of non-Maxwellian distribution of electrons was examined by using a distribution function appropriate to a homogeneous plasma in a strong electric field. After integration it was found that the spectrum changed from steep to flat as a function of time. It was concluded that a flat spectrum may arise through a distortion of the electron distribution function in a strong electric field.
- Publication:
-
Final Report Texas Technological Univ
- Pub Date:
- August 1976
- Bibcode:
- 1976ttu..rept.....B
- Keywords:
-
- Electromagnetic Radiation;
- Exploding Wires;
- Plasmas (Physics);
- Bremsstrahlung;
- Statistical Distributions;
- X Rays;
- Communications and Radar