[en] The conference covered many of the tools of the trade as follows: fast CCD detectors, fast video digitization and framing, picosecond framing cameras, and x-ray backlighting. The papers in the applications area covered a wide cross-section of phenomena: scanning microscopy with ultrafast pulses, plasma magnetic field characterization, imaging the interaction of lasers with surfaces, aerospace testing, ion beam diagnostics, shock wave studies, and metal jet characterization. Fundamental studies in high-speed imaging were also represented. Advances in framing cameras that can image phenomena as short as 30 ps were reported. Photocathode sensitivity was discussed; photoelectron throughput in streak cameras was covered; resolution and shutter time effects in fast video systems were discussed; and charge transfer efficiency modeling and intensifier studies were presented. High-speed as well as low-speed imaging were covered with special emphasis on the understanding of the methods to speed up video recording. Separate abstracts were prepared for most papers in this volume

[en] The authors have recently developed a gated monochromatic x-ray imaging diagnostic for the national Inertial-Confinement Fusion (ICF) program. This new imaging system will be one of the primary diagnostics to be utilized on University of Rochester's Omega laser fusion facility. The new diagnostic is based upon a Kirkpatrick-Baez (KB) microscope dispersed by diffraction crystals, as first described by Marshall and Su. The dispersed images are gated by four individual proximity focused microchannel plates and recorded on film. Spectral coverage is tunable up to 8 keV, spectral resolution has been measured at 20 eV, temporal resolution is 80 ps, and spatial resolution is better than 10 microm

[en] The construction and the radiographic characteristics of a plasma flash x-ray generator having a molybdenum-target (anode tip) triode are described. This generator was primarily designed in order to perform soft radiography in dental medicine and employed the following essential components: a high-voltage power supply, a low-impedance coaxial transmission line with a gap switch, a coaxial oil condenser of 0.2 microF, a turbo-molecular pump, a Krytron pulser as a trigger device, and a flash x-ray tube. The high-voltage main condenser of 0.2 microF was charged from 40 to 60 kV by the power supply, and the electric charges in the condenser were discharged to the tube after closing the gap switch. Because this tube employed a long target, the plasma x-ray source which consists of molybdenum ions and electrons was easily produced by the target evaporating. The maximum tube voltage was nearly equivalent to the initial charging voltage of the main condenser, and the maximum current had a value of about 25 kA with a charging voltage of 60 kV. The average width of flash x rays was less than 1 micros, and the time-integrated x-ray intensity with a charging voltage of 60 kV was approximately 20 microC/kg at 1.0 m per pulse. The characteristic K-series intensity substantially increased according to increases in the charging voltage. High-speed dental radiography was performed by using a laser timing switch and a trigger-delay device

[en] The fundamental studies on a flash vacuum-ultraviolet (VUV) generator for producing water-window x-rays are described. This generator consisted of the following essential components: a high-voltage power supply, a polarity-inversion-type high-voltage pulser having a 15 nF condenser, a thyristor pulser as a trigger device, a turbomolecular pump, and a VUV tube. The VUV tube employed a mercury anode, and the ferrite cathode was embedded in the anode. The pressure in the tube was primarily determined by the steam pressure of mercury as a function of temperature. The condenser in the pulser was charged from -10 to -30 kV by the power supply, and the electric charges in the condenser were discharged to the radiation tube after closing a gap switch by the thyristor pulser. As the high electron flows from the cathode electrode evaporated the anode electrode, VUV rays were then produced. The maximum output voltage from the pulser was approximately -1 times the charging voltage, and both the tube voltage and current displayed damped oscillations. The maximum values of the tube voltage and current were 14 kV and 2.0 kA, respectively. Since the effective accelerating voltage was substantially decreased by the ferrite cathode, soft x-rays were easily generated. The pulse durations of the VUV rays including water-window x-rays were nearly equivalent to those of the damped oscillations of the voltage and current, and their values were less than 15 micros

[en] The constructions and the fundamental studies of two types of kilohertz-range harder pulsed x-ray generators are described. The multiple-pulse generator was primarily designed in order to increase the x-ray intensities even when the x-ray duration increased. In contrast, as the damped oscillation of the tube voltage was prevented by using two high-voltage diodes, the authors designed the single-pulse generator to obtain short x-ray durations. Each generator employed the following essential components: a thyratron pulser, a high-voltage double transformer, a storage battery for the hot cathode (filament), and an x-ray tube. The main condenser in the pulser was charged from 8 to 16 kV, and the electric charges in the condenser were repetitively discharged to the primary coils of the transformer. Because the high-voltage impulses from the secondary coils were then applied to the x-ray tube, repetitive x-rays were generated. The x-ray tube was of a diode having a hot-cathode with a maximum temperature of about 2,000 K. The tube voltage increased in proportion to the charged voltage, and the maximum value was about 170 kV. The tube current was primarily determined by both the filament temperature and the tube voltage and had values of less than 1.5 A. The maximum intensities of the multiple and single types were about 48 and 16 nC/kg at 0.5 m per pulse. The x-ray pulse widths obtained by the single generator were less than 250 ns, and the maximum repetition rate was approximately 10 kHz

[en] The authors present the results obtained with a prototype of a high speed gateable Vacuum Image Pipeline (VIP) for selection of non-repetitive images from a continuous stream. It allows snapshots with a very short exposure time (of the order of 10 nanoseconds) to be accepted (or rejected) after a decision time of a few microseconds. The VIP is a vacuum tube equipped with a photocathode, a system of metallic grids and a phosphor screen. Photoelectrons produced by the images focused on the photocathode are guided by a uniform magnetic field parallel to the tube axis. By acting on the grid potentials, the drift time of the photoelectrons inside the tue can be adjusted between 0.3 and 2 microseconds. An image among many others can then be selected by an external trigger with a time resolution between 4 and 30 ns depending on the delay time. The selected photoelectrons are finally accelerated by a high potential (+15 kV) onto the phosphor screen where they reproduce the triggered image. A spatial resolution of 33 lp/mm at a magnetic field of 0.1 T has been measured. The VIP is a useful tool for high energy physics

[en] The spatial-temporal structure of magnetic fields in a laser plasma has been studied by a Faraday-effect method by means of three-channel polarointerferometer system. The diagnostic method is based on simultaneous measurements of the polarization plane rotation angle and the interference phase shift of the probing laser pals. The diagnostical system records simultaneously Faraday, shadow, and interference images of the plasma with a high spatial resolution, ∼ 5 microm, and a high time resolution, ∼ 50ps, both in the framing mode (with an exposure time ∼ 1.5 ns) and in a dynamic mode (in this case they used two image converter cameras operated in the streak mode). The contrast of the polarimeter was ∼ 3 · 10^-5, so it was possible to measure the angle through which the polarization plane rotated within ± 0.1 deg. The error in the determination of the phase shift of the probe wave was ± 0.1 line

[en] The development of a high-intensity kilohertz-range pulsed x-ray generator and its application to dental radiography are described. The pulsed x-ray generator consisted of the following major components: a constant high-voltage power supply, a high-voltage main condenser, a hot-cathode triode, a DC power supply for the filament (hot cathode), and a grid controller. The main condenser of 0.5 microF-100 kV in the pulser was charged from 50 to 70 kV by the power supply, and the electric charges in the condenser were discharged to the triode by the grid controller. To be exact, the tube voltage decreased during the discharging for generating pulsed x-rays, yet 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 30 kHz, respectively. The pulse width of the x-rays ranged from approximately 20 to 400 micros, and the x-ray intensity with a charging voltage of 70 kV and a total resistance of 5.1 MΩ was about 0.83 microC/kg at 1.0 m per pulse. Using this generator, high-speed dental radiography, e.g., delayed radiography and multiple-shot radiography, was performed

[en] Picosecond framing camera is one of the key diagnostic tools for laser produced plasma physics study because of its high temporal resolution and two dimensions spatial resolving ability. The technology of gating MCP in image intensifier with picosecond high voltage pulse for ultrahigh speed photography, has been developed worldwide during the last 10 years. High voltage pulse of 140 ps in width and 2.7 kV was generated to gate the multiframe images on a meander shape microstripline on MCP. The measurement time range was extended to 1.1 ns while the exposure time of each image is 60 ps. The measured spatial resolution of the framing camera is 25 lp/mm. New method to reduce the exposure time down to 10 ps was simulated numerically

[en] The photoelectron throughput in streak tubes may be understood by using the brightness theorem to couple the photoelectron emission from the virtual cathode, through the anode aperture, to the recording screen. The virtual cathode is generated by the immersion lens formed by the photocathode-accelerating electrode structure. The throughput is limited by the anode aperture that acts as a system field stop. The authors have calculated the throughput for a variety of streak tubes, given the photoelectron energy distribution of some typical photocathodes. They conclude that higher throughputs are obtained when using a slot, rather than a mesh, for the accelerating electrode. The variable magnification design of the Philips P850 streak tube allows one to optimize the throughput for arbitrary photoelectron energy distribution. This work was done to support inertial confinement studies