A hybrid X-pinch configuration consisting of solid conical electrodes connected by a wire has been tested on a 45 ns risetime, 500 kA peak current pulsed power generator. Wires of different materials were loaded through holes in the cones; wire lengths were varied from 0.6 to 2 mm. Most of these hybrid X-pinches generated an intense single burst of soft x-rays and developed a single hot spot that was of micron-scale size. Hybrid X-pinches generate less hard x-ray intensity than standard X-pinches.

Results from experimental studies of a hybrid X pinch with an initial configuration in the form of a high current diode with conical tungsten electrodes spaced by 1-2 mm and connected to one another with 20 to 100 μm diameter wires are presented. The experiments were carried out at four facilities with a current amplitude from 200 to 1000 kA and front duration from 45 to 200 ns. It is shown that, in spite of their simpler configuration, hybrid X pinches with a short rise time of the current pulse (50-100 ns) are highly competitive with standard X pinches in the generated soft X ray power and the formation of a single hot spot in them is much more stable, while hard X ray emission is almost absent. The possibility of using hybrid X pinches as soft X ray sources for point projection X ray imaging of plasma objects is considered.

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