Toshio Ichimaru

Tentative study on x-ray enhancement by fluorescent emission of radiation by plasma x-ray source

Tentative study on characteristic x-ray enhancement by fluorescent emission of radiation by plasma x-ray source is described. The enhancement was performed by the plasma flash x-ray generator having a cold-cathode triode. And the generator employs a high-voltage power supply, a low-impedance coaxial transmission line with a gap switch, a high-voltage condenser with a capacity of 200 nF, a turbo-molecular pump, a thyristor pulser as a trigger device, and a flash x-ray tube. The high-voltage main condenser is charged up to 60 kV by the power supply, and the electric charges in the condenser are discharged to the tube after triggering the cathode electrode. The flash x-rays are then produced. The x-ray tube is of a demountable triode that is connected to the turbo molecular pump with a pressure of approximately 1 mPa. As the electron flows from the cathode electrode are roughly converged to the target by the electric field in the tube, the plasma x-ray source, which consists of metal ions and electrons, forms by the target evaporating. Both the tube voltage and current displayed damped oscillations, and their peak values increased according to increases in the charging voltage. In the present work, the peak tube voltage was almost equivalent to the initial charging voltage of the main condenser, and the peak current was less than 30 kA. The characteristic x-ray intensity substantially increased according to the growth in the plasma x-ray source. When the linear plasma x-ray source formed, the bremsstrahlung x-rays were absorbed without using a monochromatic filter, and high- intensity characteristic x-rays were produced.

Characteristics of the plasma flash x-ray generator and applications

Various characteristics of a plasma flash x-ray generator having a cold-cathode radiation tube and its application to high-speed soft radiography are described. The x-ray generator employs a high-voltage power supply, a low-impedance coaxial transmission line with a gap switch, a high-voltage condenser with a capacity of about 200 nF, a turbo-molecular pump, a thyristor pulser as a trigger device, and a flash x-ray tube. The high-voltage main condenser is charged up to 60 kV by the power supply, and the electric charges in the condenser are discharged to the tube after triggering the cathode electrode. The flash x-rays are then produced. The x-ray tube is of a demountable triode which is connected to the turbo molecular pump with a pressure of approximately 1 mPa. As the electron flows from the cathode electrode are roughly converged to the target by the electric field in the tube, the plasma x-ray source which consists of metal ions and electrons is produced by the target evaporating. Both the tube voltage and current displayed damped oscillations, and their peak values increased according to increases in the charging voltage. In the present work, the peak tube voltage was almost equivalent to the initial charging voltage of the main condenser, and the peak current was less than 30 kA. In this experiment, we employed four types of plasma targets as follows: (1) single target, (2) coaxial double target, (3) alloy target, and (4) plate target. When the single target in conjunction with the monochromatic filter was employed, high-intensity quasi- monochromatic x-rays were obtained. Next, the characteristic x-ray intensities from the outer target increased in the case where the double target was used. By using the alloy (copper tungsten) target, the x-ray intensities of the copper K-series lines increased. Finally, when the linear plasma x-ray source was formed by using the plate target, the bremsstrahlung x- rays were absorbed and were converted into florescent rays, and high-intensity characteristic x-rays were produced.

Flash water-window x-ray generator WFX-98

The fundamental study on a flash water-window x-ray generator (WFX-98) is described. This generator is composed of a high- voltage power supply, a polarity-inversion ignitron pulser, an oil-diffusion pump, and a radiation tube with a capillary. The high-voltage condenser of about 0.2 (mu) F in the pulser is charged up to 20 kV by the power supply, and the electric charges in the condenser are discharged to the capillary in the tube after closing the ignitron. In the present work, the chamber is evacuated by the pump with a pressure of about 1 mPa, and the titanium anode and cathode electrodes are employed to produce L-series characteristic x-rays in the water-window range. The diameter and the length of the ferrite capillary are 2.0 and 29 mm, respectively. Both the cathode voltage and the discharge current displayed damped oscillations. The peak values of the voltage and current increased when the charging voltage was increased, and their maximum values were -11 kV and 3.8 kA, respectively.

Monochromatic plasma x-ray generator and its applications

The constructions of a plasma flash x-ray generator having a cold-cathode radiation tube and its application to soft radiography are described. The x-ray generator employs a high- voltage power supply, a low-impedance coaxial transmission line with a gap switch, a high-voltage condenser with a capacity of 0.2 (mu) F, a turbo-molecular pump, a thyristor pulser as a trigger device, and a flash x-ray tube. The high- voltage main condenser is charged up to 60 kV by the power supply, and the electric charges in the condenser are discharged to the tube after triggering the cathode electrode. The flash x-rays are then produced. The x-ray tube is a demountable triode which is connected to the turbo molecular pump with a pressure of approximately 1 mPa. This tube consists of a rod-shaped carbon cathode, a trigger electrode made from a copper wire, a stainless-steel vacuum chamber, insulators, a polyethylene terephthalate x-ray window, and two anode electrodes (targets) of molybdenum and silver. The space between the anode and cathode electrodes had a constant value of approximately 20 mm, and the trigger electrode is set in the center of the cathode electrode. As the electron flows from the cathode electrode are roughly converged to the target by the electric field in the tube, the plasma x-ray source which consists of metal ions and electrons is produced by the target evaporating. Because the bremsstrahlung spectra are absorbed by the monochromatic filter, K-series characteristic x-rays are obtained. Both the tube voltage and current displayed damped oscillations, and their peak values increased according to increases in the charging voltage. In the present work, the peak tube voltage was almost equivalent to the initial charging voltage of the main condenser, and the peak current had a value of about 25 kA with a charging voltage of 60 kV. When the charging voltage was increased, the intensities of the K-series characteristic x-rays increased. Next, the intensities decreased as the monochromatic filter was inserted. Using this quasi-monochromatic plasma flash x- ray generator, we performed high-speed soft radiography with x-ray durations of about 1 microsecond.

Ignitron-driven soft flash x-ray generator

The fundamental study on a soft flash x-ray generator utilizing an ignitron is described. This generator consists of the following essential components: a high-voltage power supply, a high-voltage pulser having an ignitron, an oil diffusion pump, and a flash x-ray tube. The x-ray tube employs a molybdenum anode rod, a pipe-shaped carbon cathode, a polymethylmeth acrylate tube body, and a polyethylene terephthalate x-ray window. The space between the anode and the cathode electrodes (ac space) can be controlled by rotating the anode rod. The high-voltage condenser in the pulser is charged from 40 to 60 kV by the power supply, and the electric charges in the condenser are discharged to the tube by the ignitron through a 2.0 m coaxial cable. Because the maximum anode voltage of the ignitron is 50 kV, a free-air gap switch is employed in order to increase the high-voltage durability. In the present work, the anode electrode is connected to the ground, and the negative high-voltage output is applied to the cathode electrode. The flash x-rays are then produced. The peak cathode voltage and tube current had values of minus 56 kV and 11.5 kA, respectively, with a charging voltage of 60 kV and an ac space of 6.0 mm, and the pulse widths were less than 300 ns.

Condenser-discharge stroboscopic x-ray generator SX-C98

The radiographic characteristics of a high-intensity kilohertz-range stroboscopic x-ray generator (SX-C98) are described. This generator consists of the following major components: a controller, a condenser unit having a Cockcroft circuit, and an x-ray tube unit in conjunction with a grid controller. The main condenser of about 500 nF in the unit is charged up to 100 kV by the circuit, and the electric charges in the condenser are discharged to the triode by the grid controller. Although the tube voltage slightly decreased during the discharging for generating x-rays, the maximum value was equivalent to the initial charging voltage of the main condenser. The maximum values of the tube current and the repetition rate were about 0.5 A and 32 kHz, respectively. The pulse width of the x-rays ranged from approximately 0.01 to 1.0 ms, and the maximum shot number had a value of 32. At a constant filament (cathode) temperature, the x-ray intensity increased according to increases in the charging voltage and to increases in the duration, and the intensity with a duration of about Ims and a charging voltage of 70 kV was 140 nC/kg at 1.0 m per pulse. When the charging voltage was increased, the dimension of the focal spot slightly increased, and the maximum values were about 3.5 X 3.5 mm.

Transformer-driven stroboscopic x-ray generator SX-T98

The constructions and the characteristics of a transformer- driven stroboscopic x-ray generator (SX-T98) are described. This generator is primarily designed in order to increase the maximum photon energy of the pulsed x-rays and is composed of the following essential components: a thyratron pulser, a high-voltage transformer having a ferrite core with a maximum output voltage of 300 kV, a sequence controller, a DC power supply for the hot cathode (filament), and an x-ray tube. The main condenser of 24 nF in the pulser is charged up to 14 kV, and the electric charges in the condenser are discharged repetitively to the primary coil of the transformer. Because the high-voltage pulses from the secondary coil are then applied to the x-ray tube, repetitive harder x-rays are produced. The x-ray tube is of a triode having a hot-cathode which is primarily driven at the temperature-limited current region In this triode, because the grid is connected to the cathode, this tube is driven as a diode. The tube voltage roughly increased in proportion to the charging voltage, and the maximum value was about 300 kV. Thus, the maximum photon energy had a value of about 300 keV. The tube current was primarily determined by the filament temperature and had values of less than 2 A. The x-ray output displayed plural pulses, and the pulse width of the first pulse was about 300 ns. The maximum repetition rate was about 1 kHz, and the dimension of the x-ray source had values of 3.5 X 3.5 mm.

Characteristics of the kilohertz-range harder stroboscopic x-ray generator and applications

Characteristics and applications of a kilohertz-range stroboscopic x-ray generator (SX-T99) are described. This generator is primarily developed in order to increase the maximum photon energy of the pulse x-rays. And the setup is composed of the following essential components: a thyratron pulser, a high-voltage transformer having a ferrite core with a maximum output voltage of 300 kV, a sequence controller, a DC power supply for the hot cathode (filament), and an x-ray tube. The main condenser of 27 nF in the pulser is charged up to 15 kV, and the electric charges in the condenser are discharged repetitively to the primary coil of the transformer. Because the high-voltage pulses from the secondary coil are then applied to the x-ray tube, repetitive harder x-rays are produced. The x-ray tube is of a triode having a filament that is primarily driven at the temperature- limited current region. In this triode, since the grid is connected to the cathode, the tube is driven as a diode. The tube voltage roughly increased in proportion to the charging voltage, and the maximum value was about 300 kV. Thus, the maximum photon energy had a value of about 300 keV. The tube current was primarily determined by the filament temperature and was less than 2 A. The x-ray output displayed plural pulses, and the width of the first pulse was about 400 ns. The maximum repetition rate was about 1 kHz, and the dimension of the x-ray source had values of about 3.5 X 3.5 mm. The high-speed radiography was performed using a computed radiography (CR) system.

Flash water-window x-ray generator with a ferrite capillary

The fundamental study on a flash water-window x-ray generator is described. This generator is composed of a high-voltage power supply, a polarity-inversion high-voltage pulser, a krytron pulser as a trigger device, an oil-diffusion pump, and a vacuum chamber with a capillary. A combined ceramic condenser of about 5 nF in the pulser is charged up to 70 kV by the power supply, and the electric charges in the condenser are discharged to the capillary in the tube after closing a gap switch by the krytron pulser. In the present work, the chamber is evacuated by the pump with a pressure of about 1 by 10-3 Pa, and the titanium anode and cathode electrodes are employed to produce L-series characteristic x rays in the water-window range. The diameter and the length of the ferrite capillary are 2.0 and 30 mm, respectively. Both the cathode voltage and the discharge current displayed damped oscillations. The peak values of the voltage and current increased when the charging voltage was increased, and their maximum values were minus 24 kV and 2.8 kA, respectively. The pulse durations of the water-window x-rays were nearly equivalent to those of the damped oscillations of the voltage and current, and their values were less than 10 microseconds.

High-dose-rate stroboscopic x-ray generator with a hot-cathode triode

The construction and the fundamental studies of a high-dose- rate stroboscopic x-ray generator utilizing a hot-cathode radiation tube for high-speed radiography are described. This generator consists of the following essential components: a constant high-voltage power supply, an energy-storage oil condenser of about 0.1 (mu) F, a grid pulser, a dc power supply for the filament, and an x-ray tube. The x-ray tube is a glass-enclosed hot-cathode triode and is composed of the following major parts: an anode rod made of copper, a tungsten plate target, an iron focusing electrode, a tungsten hot- cathode (filament), a tungsten grid, and a glass tube body. The electron beams from the cathode are accelerated by both the grid and anode electrodes and are roughly converged to the target by the focusing electrode. In the present work, the storage condenser is charged up to 70 kV by the power supply, and the electric charges in the condenser are discharged repetitively to the x-ray tube by the grid pulser. Because the cathode current is increased by increasing the positive grid voltage, high-dose-rate repetitive x-rays are then produced. In this generator, the cathode current which is almost equivalent to the tube current is primarily regulated by the filament temperature (fulminate voltage). The pulse widths of x-rays were about 600 ns, and the maximum repetition rate was about 50 kHz. The cathode current was less than 3.1 angstrom, and the x-ray intensity had a value of 35.2 nC/kg at 0.5 m per pulse with a charging voltage of 70 kV and a filament voltage of 12 V.