A Pulsed Low-Hardness X-Ray Source For Radiography in Explosive Experiments

A simple X-ray unit with an effective radiation energy of 50 keV and a pulse FWHM duration of 25 ns is described. The unit is designed on the basis of a mass-produced high-voltage nanosecond generator synchronized with a 10-ns accuracy. The problems of protecting the unit's radiation head and film cassette under conditions of explosive experiments are considered. The radiography results for a cumulative metallic copper jet 2 mm in diameter moving at a velocity of several kilometers per second, and for the deformation of aluminum tubes 25 and 32 mm in diameter with 4- and 8-mm thick walls, respectively, upon the explosion of a few tens of grams of an HE charge, are presented.