Spatiotemporal Localization of X-Ray Emission Regions in a Long High-Voltage Discharge

Abstract

Synchronous spatiotemporal measurements of hard X rays emitted during the development of a high-voltage discharge at voltages of ~1 MV in half-meter open air gaps have been carried out for the first time. Using an array of scintillation detectors with lead diaphragms and the nanosecond photography of the discharge in the intrinsic luminescence, it has been shown that X rays are emitted in the discharge development stage when numerous brightly luminescent plasma channels are formed in the entire discharge gap and the discharge current with an amplitude of hundreds of amperes flows. It has been found that the emission of X rays (photons with energies above 5 keV) can start almost synchronously in the entire discharge gap, including the cathode and anode regions, near-cathode and near-anode regions, and the middle of the discharge gap. The statistical distributions of the total power and the number of the observed X-ray flashes along the discharge gap have been obtained.