Time-resolved pinhole camera for observation of nanosecond-duration x–uv plasma emission

Abstract
A vacuum diode with a rear‐mounted Pilot‐B scintillator has been coupled with a conventional evacuated pinhole camera. The cathode of the diode is fabricated from 2‐μ thick polycarbonate (Kimfol) with a 200‐Å aluminum layer on the rear surface. Incident photons with energies above the carbon K edge (284 eV) are highly absorbed in the polycarbonate, but photons with energies below the K edge are absorbed in the aluminum and produce photoelectrons. This yields a photoelectron sensitivity which is peaked at approximately 275 eV. The photoelectrons are accelerated by a 10‐kV cathode potential to an aluminum anode coating on the scintillator, and scintillation photons are observed with an image converter camera. Streak photographs of exploded‐wire x–uv radiation taken with this system are presented.

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