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The results of the studies of the compression of the plasma of cone-cylindrical nested arrays of mixed composition at current flow through them of up to 3 MA at the Angara-5-1 facility are presented. The outer array of the nested array is a conical array of thin nylon fibers or tungsten wires, while the inner one is a cylindrical tungsten wire array. The implosion of current in this type of nested arrays is a unique opportunity for simulating the interaction of magnetized plasma flows with a strong magnetic field. In the space between the inner and outer arrays, the super-Alfven plasma flow from the outer array collides with the magnetic field of the discharge current through the inner array. As a result of this interaction in the space between arrays, different plasma flow modes are implemented: pre-Alfven (Vr VА), and a mode with the formation of the transition region—a shock wave (SW) between arrays, depending on the ratio of the plasma formation rates of arrays of nested array and on the ratio of their radii. The SW region formation in the space between arrays occurs near the inner array, where the kinetic pressure of the plasma flow from the outer array is balanced by the magnetic pressure of the discharge current of the inner array. New experimental data was obtained on the features of the SW region formation near the surface of the inner array and the nature of its change during the interaction. The use of an external conical array enabled us to obtain the SW position depending on the ratio of radii of the outer and inner arrays in one shot. It is shown that the interaction of plasma flows of the outer conical array with the magnetic field of the inner cylindrical array leads to a significant decrease in the zipper-effect at the final stage of plasma compression of the inner array and the pinch formation. The obtained experimental results are compared with the results of simulating the plasma motion between the arrays using the three-dimensional radiation-magnetohydrodynamic code MARPLE3D.

In this work, we optimized a clean, versatile, compact source of soft X-ray radiation $(E_{\text{x}\text{-}\text{ray}}\sim 3~\text{keV})$ with an yield per shot up to $7\times 10^{11}~\text{photons}/\text{shot}$ in a plasma generated by the interaction of high-contrast femtosecond laser pulses of relativistic intensity $(I_{\text{las}}\sim 10^{18}{-}10^{19}~\text{W}/\text{cm}^{2})$ with supersonic argon gas jets. Using high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy approaches, the dependence of main characteristics (temperature, density and ionization composition) and the emission efficiency of the X-ray source on laser pulse parameters and properties of the gas medium was studied. The optimal conditions, when the X-ray photon yield reached a maximum value, have been found when the argon plasma has an electron temperature of $T_{\text{e}}\sim 185~\text{eV}$ , an electron density of $N_{\text{e}}\sim 7\times 10^{20}~\text{cm}^{-3}$ and an average charge of $Z\sim 14$ . In such a plasma, a coefficient of conversion to soft X-ray radiation with energies $E_{\text{x}\text{-}\text{ray}}\sim 3.1\;(\pm 0.2)~\text{keV}$ reaches $8.57\times 10^{-5}$ , and no processes leading to the acceleration of electrons to MeV energies occur. It was found that the efficiency of the X-ray emission of this plasma source is mainly determined by the focusing geometry. We confirmed experimentally that the angular distribution of the X-ray radiation is isotropic, and its intensity linearly depends on the energy of the laser pulse, which was varied in the range of 50–280 mJ. We also found that the yield of X-ray photons can be notably increased by, for example, choosing the optimal laser pulse duration and the inlet pressure of the gas jet.

Methods and results of studies of the radiation spectra of high-current Z-pinches with different elemental compositions are presented. To examine a wide spectral range (Ehν = 30–3000 eV), two diagnostics tools were used—a transmission grating and a reflecting mica crystal. The radiation characteristics of the pinch are determined by its elemental composition. For currents of 2–3 MA and low-Z elements (aluminum), the hard end of the radiation spectrum is represented by spectral lines with clearly pronounced K lines, while for high-Z elements (tungsten), the spectrum lies in the softer photon energy range and is quasi-continuous. Two methods of spectrum processing were used to determine the plasma parameters. The parameters of aluminum plasma were traditionally determined from the intensity ratios of the K lines taking into account the plasma transparency for these lines. The spectra of tungsten plasma were compared with the results of computer simulations of pinch compression with allowance for both magnetohydrodynamic and plasma radiation processes. The applicability of these methods of spectral analysis is discussed.

One of the most robust methods, demonstrated up to date, of accelerating electron beams by laser-plasma sources is the utilization of plasma channels generated by the capillary discharges. These channels, i.e., plasma columns with a minimum density along the laser pulse propagation axis, may optically guide short laser pulses, thereby increasing the acceleration length, leading to a more efficient electron acceleration. Although the spatial structure of the installation is simple in principle, there may be some important effects caused by the open ends of the capillary, by the supplying channels etc., which require a detailed 3D modeling of the processes taking place in order to get a detailed understanding and improve the operation. However, the discharge plasma, being one of the most crucial components of the laser-plasma accelerator, is not simulated with the accuracy and resolution required to advance this promising technology. In the present work, such simulations are performed using the code MARPLE. First, the process of the capillary filling with a cold hydrogen before the discharge is fired, through the side supply channels is simulated. The main goal of this simulation is to get a spatial distribution of the filling gas in the region near the open ends of the capillary. A realistic geometry is used for this and the next stage simulations, including the insulators, the supplying channels as well as the electrodes. Second, the simulation of the capillary discharge is performed with the goal to obtain a time-dependent spatial distribution of the electron density near the open ends of the capillary as well as inside the capillary. Finally, to evaluate effectiveness of the beam coupling with the channeling plasma wave guide and electron acceleration, modeling of laser-plasma interaction was performed with the code INF&RNO, 11 pages, 9 figures

For several decades the capillary discharges have been under intensive investigations due to various promising applications, e.g. for the laser electron accelerators as well as for the X-ray lasers [1,2]. A major portion of the experiments were done with circular cross-section capillaries. An appropriate theoretical and numerical study of circular capillaries can be greatly simplified to a 1D model [3] assuming rotational and axial symmetries of the plasma flow in a long thin channel. On the other hand, studying capillaries with non-circular cross-section [4], which have been attracting substantially less attention, requires more complicated 2D models. Such capillaries, for example, square one, possess several advantages related to their fabrication as well as for plasma diagnostics The aim of our work is to compare the plasma density and temperature distributions formed at the quasistationary stage of the discharge. We present the results of MHD simulations of hydrogen-filled capillary discharges with circular and rectangular cross-sections under almost the same conditions characterizing the initial configurations and the external electric circuit. The simulation parameters are choosen to correspond to the capillary discharge based waveguide for the laser wakefield accelerator [5]. Bibliography [1] Leemans W. P. et al 2014 Phys. Rev. Lett. 113 245002 [2] Benware B. R. et al 1998 Phys. Rev. Lett. 81 5804 [3] Bobrova N. A. et al 2001 Phys. Rev. E 65 016407 [4] Gonsalves A. J. et al 2007 Phys. Rev. Lett. 98 025002 [5] Esarey E. et al 2009 Rev. Mod. Phys. 81 1229

X-ray diagnostics of the interaction of femtosecond laser pulses with intensities of 1016–1018 W/cm2 with CO2 clusters and frozen nanosize water particles is carried out. The stage of cluster expansion and the formation of a plasma channel, which governs the parameters of the formed X-ray radiation source and accelerated ion flows, is studied. The measurements are based on recording spatially resolved X-ray spectra of H- and He-like oxygen ions. Utilization of Rydberg transitions for spectra diagnostics makes it possible to determine plasma parameters on a time scale of t ∼ 10 ps after the beginning of a femtosecond pulse. The role of the rear edge of the laser pulse in sustaining the plasma temperature at a level of ∼100 eV in the stage of a nonadiabatic cluster expansion is shown. The analysis of the profiles and relative intensities of spectral lines allows one to determine the temperature and density of plasma electrons and distinguish the populations of “thermal” ions and ions that are accelerated up to energies of a few tens of kiloelectronvolts. It is shown that the use of solid clusters made of frozen nanoscale water droplets as targets leads to a substantial increase in the number of fast He-like ions. In this case, however, the efficiency of acceleration of H-like ions does not increase, because the time of their ionization in plasma exceeds the time of cluster expansion.

A novel type of submicron ion radiography designed to image low-contrast objects, including nanofoils, membranes and biological structures, is proposed. It is based on femtosecond–laser-driven-cluster- plasma source of multicharged ions and polymer dosimeter film CR-39. The intense isotropic ion flow was produced by femtosecond Ti:Sa laser pulses with intensity ∼ 4x1017 W/cm2 absorbed in the supersonic jet of the mixed He and CO2 gases. Two Focusing Spectrometers with Spatial Resolution (FSSR) were used to measure X-ray spectra of H-and He-like multicharged oxygen ions. The spectra testify that ions with energy more than 300 keV were radiated in different directions from the plasma source. High contrast ion radiography images were obtained for 2000 dpi metal mesh, 1 μm polypropylene and 100 nm Zr foils as well as for the different biological objects. Images were recorded on a 1 mm thick CR-39 detector, placed in contact with back surface of the imaged samples at the distances 140 -160 mm from the ion source. The spatial resolution of the image no worse than 600 nm was provided. A difference in object thickness of 100 nm was very well resolved for both Zr and polymer foils. The ion radiography images recorded at different angles from the source, demonstrated almost uniform spatial distribution of ion with total number of 108 per shot (© 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

It has been shown that a femtosecond plasma of cluster targets is an almost isotropic source of fast ions and, hence, can be used to obtain ionographic images with a wide field of view. The spatial resolution of the resulting ionographic images is no worse than 600 nm, which corresponds to a uniquely high value of about 105 of the ratio of the field of view to the resolution. The use of 100–300-keV ion fluxes ensures the sensitivity of the method to the sample thickness of no worse than 100 nm even for samples consisting of light chemical elements (C, H). The proposed method can be used to obtain images of low-contrast biological objects, thin films, membranes, and other nanostructured objects.

The project BELLA (LBNL, USA) is aimed to create an experimental facility for further advancing the development of laser-driven electron acceleration1. BELLA's unique attribute is the ability to use laser light to accelerate an electron beam up to 10 GeV level in a comparatively short distance of approximately one meter. The acceleration takes place during the propagation of a high power femtosecond laser pulse in the plasma formed in a capillary discharge. This capillary plasma forms a plasma channel able to guide the laser pulse, which in its turn forms a plasma wake wave that accelerates the injected electrons.

The density distribution in a pulsed xenon gas jet emanating through cylindrical and conic (supersonic) nozzles in vacuum was investigated experimentally and theoretically for different stagnation pressures and at different instants of time. The measurements were made from absorption of monochromatic soft X-rays (SXRs) (λ=13.6 nm) produced by a nanosecond laser-plasma source. Focusing normal-incidence multilayer mirrors were employed for the monochromatisation of soft X-rays and the production of transmission jet images (X-ray absorption patterns). Numerical simulations were made of the transient outflow of xenon in vacuum taking cluster production into account. The measured absolute density values and the density distribution agree nicely with the simulations.

High-resolutionK-shell spectra of a plasma created by superintense laser irradiation of micron-sized Ar clusters have been measured with an intensity above 1019W/cm2and a pulse duration of 30 fs. The total photon flux of 2 × 108photons/pulse was achieved for Heα1resonant line of Ar (λ = 3.9491 Å, 3.14 keV). In parallel with X-ray measurements, energy distributions of emitted ions have been measured. The multiply charged ions with kinetic energies up to 800 keV were observed. It is found that hot electrons produced by high contrast laser pulses allow the isochoric heating of clusters and shift the ion balance toward the higher charge states, which enhances both the X-ray line yield of the He-like argon ion and the ion kinetic energy.

We have measured the X-ray emission spectra of a plasma generated by laser radiation with an intensity above 1019W/cm2 and a pulse duration of 30 fs acting upon an argon jet target with a large abundance of micron-sized clusters. The time variation of the X-ray yield from ions of various multiplicities, calculated within the framework of a nonstationary kinetic model, shows a good qualitative agreement with the experimental time-integrated spectrum.

Plasma properties inside a hydrogen-filled capillary discharge waveguide were modeled with dissipative magnetohydrodynamic simulations to enable analysis of capillaries of circular and square cross-sections implying that square capillaries can be used to guide circularly-symmetric laser beams. When the quasistationary stage of the discharge is reached, the plasma and temperature in the vicinity of the capillary axis has almost the same profile for both the circular and square capillaries. The effect of cross-section on the electron beam focusing properties were studied using the simulation-derived magnetic field map. Particle tracking simulations showed only slight effects on the electron beam symmetry in the horizontal and diagonal directions for square capillary., 6 pages, 10 figures

A study is made of the ultra-short laser pulse irradiation of Ar cluster targets. Experiments have been performed with large cluster sizes and using very high laser contrasts, which have allowed clear and unambiguous observation of exotic inner-shell transitions in near-neutral Ar ions. The interaction of the main laser pulse with the unperturbed target is a necessary requirement for observing these lines. Our measurements are supported by kinetics calculations in which a very detailed atomic model is used. The calculations predict all of the spectral features found experimentally, and support the notion that the X-ray emission arises from many ion stages of the Ar plasma, from near-neutral through He-like ions, and from a range of plasma temperatures and densities. Differences between X-ray argon clusters excited at the laser-cluster and laser-droplet interactions have been analyzed. X-ray spectral methods have been proposed to determine the parameters of the plasma formed at the early stages of its evolution. It has been shown that the spectra of hollow ions are the most informative in the first moments of the heating of a cluster, whereas the diagnostics of the late stages can be performed using the conventional lines of multicharged ions.

Differences between X-ray argon clusters excited at the laser-cluster and laser-droplet interactions have been analyzed. X-ray spectral methods have been proposed to determine the parameters of the appearing plasma at the early stages of its evolution. It has been shown that the spectra of hollow ions are the most informative in the first moments of the heating of a cluster, whereas the diagnostics of the late stages can be performed using the conventional lines of multicharged ions.

We present substantial enhancement of the accelerated ion energies up to 10–20 MeV per nucleon by utilizing the unique properties of the cluster-gas target irradiated with 40-fs laser pulses of only 150 mJ energy, corresponding to approximately tenfold increase in the ion energies compared to previous experiments using thin foil targets. A particle-in-cell simulation infers that the high energy ions are generated at the rear side of the target due to the formation of a strong dipole vortex structure in subcritical density plasmas. The demonstrated method can be important in the development of efficient laser ion accelerators for hadron therapy and other applications.

The intense isotropic source of multicharged ions, with energy above 300 keV, was produced by femtosecond Ti:Sa laser pulses irradiation (intensity of ∼4×1017 W/cm2) of the He and CO2 gases mixture expanded in supersonic jet. High contrast ionography images have been obtained for 2000 dpi metal mesh, 1 μm polypropylene and 100 nm Zr foils, as well as for different biological objects. Images were recorded on 1 mm thick CR‐39 ion detector placed in contact with back surface of the imaged samples, at the distances 140–160 mm from the plasma source. The obtained spatial resolution of the image was ∼600 nm. A 100 nm object thickness difference was resolved very well for both Zr and polymer foils. The multicharged ion energy for Carbon and Oxygen ions passing through the 1 μm polypropylene foil is estimated to give the energy of more than 300 keV. An almost equal number of ions were measured with total number of about 108 per shot at a different direction from plasma source. Easy production of different sub‐MeV...

We demonstrate generation of 10–20 MeV/u ions with a compact 4 TW laser using a gas target mixed with submicron clusters, corresponding to tenfold increase in the ion energies compared to previous experiments with solid targets. It is inferred that the high energy ions are generated due to formation of a strong dipole vortex structure. The demonstrated method has a potential to construct compact and high repetition rate ion sources for hadron therapy and other applications.

The work is devoted to some problems in numerical modelling plasma generated in the course of magnetic implosion of multiwire arrays (liners) in Z-pinch discharge mode, including numerical and theoretical analysis of quasispherical imploding conical wire arrays. Experiments were performed at ANGARA-5-1 facility (TRINITI) with the discharge current up to 3 MA. The numerical simulations were carried out on the base of 2D RMHD code MARPLE (IMM RAS). An appropriate description of the early phase of plasma generation during the electrical explosion of wires is a real challenge in MHD modeling of these experiments, in our computations we used the plasma ablation model, which allows to obtain more realistic results as compared with the models where the entire wires are considered to be initially already in plasma state. According to the experimental data we assume that the wire skeleton is stable during the overall time of the plasma generation as its density is significantly more than that of the surrounding plasma. Besides that the skeleton carries essentially less electric current than the plasma. The plasma ablation process lasts until the total wire skeleton evaporation. Experiments show that in the case of current pulse matched load the plasma generation is finished soon after the current maximum. Taking into account small diameter of the wires as compared with interwire gaps and the array dimensions plasma production is simulated by a steady source surface placed inside the computational domain. The mass ablation rate at the unit of the source surface is calculated with respect to the local distribution of the magnetic field induction. The numerical experiments showed that the plasma ablation model has a significant effect on both the entire scheme of plasma dynamics and such values as voltage drop at the load and soft X-ray yield power. The improvement of the ablation model parameters based on experimental and theoretical estimations is an issue of the day in 2D and 3D Z-pinch simulations.

MHD numerical simulations are applied for multiparameter studies of quasi-spherical magnetic compression of plasma liners created by conical multiwire arrays electrical explosion at ANGARA-5-1 facility (TRINITI) with the discharge current 2 to 3 MA and the pulse rise time about 100 ns. The description of the plasma dynamics at different stages of implosion is reproduced as a result of simulation. Numerical and experimental time profiles of voltage drop at the load and soft X-ray yield power are compared. The effect of the geometry changes upon the implosion process is studied. Numerical simulation is based on 2D RMHD code MARPLE (IMM RAS) using unstructured triangular grids. The code implements one-fluid two-temperature MHD model, grid-characteristic method for radiative energy transfer and the model of prolonged plasma ablation to simulate plasma source. The governing MHD system of is completed by electrical equation for the full circuit including the generator itself, leading-in systems and the discharge chamber with the plasma in it. Equations of state, transport and kinetic coefficients, opacity and emissivity coefficients are taken from the tables. The behavior of the discharge is satisfactorily described in general by the above RMHD model. The plasma ablation model appeared to have a significant effect on both the entire scheme of plasma dynamics and such values as voltage drop at the load and soft X-ray yield power. The improvement of this model based on experimental and theoretical estimations is an issue of the day in 2D and 3D Z-pinch simulations. The MARPLE code calibrated against the conical liners simulations proved to be a useful tool for computations aimed to optimization of the experimental setup for 3D implosion of plasma.

We used X-ray spectroscopy as a diagnostic tool for investigating the properties of laser-cluster interactions at the stage in which non-adiabatic cluster expansion takes place and a quasi-homogeneous plasma is produced. The experiment was carried out with a 10 TW, 65 fs Ti:Sa laser focused on CO2 cluster jets. The effect of different laser-pulse contrast ratios and cluster concentrations was investigated. The X-ray emission associated to the Rydberg transitions allowed us to retrieve, through the density and temperature of the emitting plasma, the time after the beginning of the interaction at which the emission occurred. The comparison of this value with the estimated time for the “homogeneous” plasma formation shows that the degree of adiabaticity depends on both the cluster concentration and the pulse contrast. Interferometric measurements support the X-ray data concerning the plasma electron density.

Magnetically driven plasma implosion is studied numerically with the use of a 3D radiative MHD model. We consider a Z-pinch formed by an array of thin tungsten wires. In our calculations we take into account a time-extended plasma production due to a material evaporation by an individual wire caused by the heating electric current. Using a detailed model of the pinch kernel, a soft x-ray radiation intensity is analyzed numerically with resolution of temporal, spatial, angular and spectral radiation characteristics. The results are represented for the conditions pertinent to experiments with cylindrical tungsten wire arrays at Angara-5-1 facility (TRINITI, RF).

High resolution x-ray emission spectra of plasma created by laser irradiation of rare-gas (Ar, Kr, Xe) clusters have been measured at laser intensities over 10 19 W/cm 2 and 30-fs pulse duration. To make these measurements possible, in addition to the effort to decrease a prepulse intensity using Pockels cell switches, micron-size clusters were produced using a specially designed conical nozzle. The Boltzmann equation and a detailed collisional radiative model are solved simultaneously as a function of time to model the time integrated x-ray spectra of the transient plasma. The results are quantitatively in good agreement with the experimentally observed x-ray emission spectra of Ar clusters.

The heating of clusters by femtosecond laser pulses is studied theoretically and experimentally. Both the formation of a cluster target and the results of experimental studies of the cluster plasma by the methods of X-ray emission spectroscopy are considered. A numerical model of cluster formation in a supersonic gas jet is proposed. It is shown that detailed studies of two-phase gas-dynamic processes in a nozzle forming the jet give the spatial distributions of all parameters required for the correct calculation of the cluster heating by short laser pulses. Calculations of nozzles of different configurations show that in a number of cases an almost homogeneous cluster target can be formed, whereas in other cases the distributions of parameters prove to be not only inhomogeneous but also even nonmonotonic. A simple physical model of the plasma production by a femtosecond laser pulse and a picosecond prepulse is proposed. It is shown that a comparison of X-ray spectra with detailed calculations of the ion kinetics makes it possible to determine the main parameters of the plasma being produced.

The parameters of a plasma produced upon the interaction of ultrashort laser pulses with cluster targets are measured by the methods of X-ray spectroscopy. The dependence of the plasma parameters on the initial properties of a cluster target (the design of a supersonic nozzle, the average size of clusters, the spatial inhomogeneity) and the laser pulse properties (its duration and contrast) is studied. The plasma diagnostics is performed using the model of formation of emission spectra, which was proposed earlier and includes a number of fitting parameters, which provide good agreement with experimental spectra. The systematic experimental studies performed by us showed that our model of cluster heating by ultrashort pulses is indeed a physical model, and the fitting parameters represent the average values of plasma parameters in the corresponding space-time regions.

Review of systematic investigations of x-ray radiation properties of different clusters heated by short-pulse high- intensive TI:Sa laser radiation is presented. The cluster targets were formed by the adiabatic expansion in vacuum of an Ar or CO2 gas puff produced by a pulsed valve with a Laval or conical nozzles. The gas jet pressure is varied form 15 up to 100 bar. Detailed theoretical modeling of cluster parameters have been done and compared with experimental measurements. High spectrally and spatially resolved x-ray spectra near resonance lines of H- and He- like ions of oxygen and Ar have been obtained and detailed spectroscopic analysis was consistent with a theoretical two-temperature collisional-radiative model of irradiated atomic clusters incorporating with an effects of highly energetic electronics. The role of laser prepulse for x-ray intensity emission and its spatial distribution were investigated in details. X-ray spectra radiation from plasma with electron density more than 1022 cm-3 was at first time observed. Big effect of fast electrons influence on the x-ray emission of He-like Ar spectra was demonstrated. Comparison with data under various experimental conditions clearly demonstrated that for increasing x-ray output form plasma the most essential to increase size of clusters and has reasonable value of ps prepulse.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

High temperature plasmas have been created by irradiating Ar clusters with high intensity 60-fs laser pulses. Detailed spectroscopic analysis of spatially resolved, high resolution x-ray data near the ${\mathrm{He}}_{\ensuremath{\alpha}}$ line of Ar is consistent with a two-temperature collisional-radiative model incorporating the effects of highly energetic electrons. The results of the spectral analysis are compared with a theoretical hydrodynamic model of cluster production, as well as interferometric data. The plasma parameters are notably uniform over one Rayleigh length $(600 \ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}).$

A hydrodynamic model is formulated that describes the formation of clusters in atomic gas jets expanding into vacuum, which are used as laser plasma targets. Detailed model calculations performed for an argon gas jet describe spatial distributions of the density of gas and cluster phases formed in the Laval nozzle at room temperature in a broad range of entrance gas pressures. The cluster density distribution is significantly inhomogeneous. The cluster distribution features revealed by the model calculations were qualitatively confirmed by the X-ray spectroscopic measurements of the spatial distribution of emission from the plasma created in the jet tar-gets by high-power ultrashort laser pulses.

Submicron scale clusters, produced by mixture of molecular (CO2) and atomic (He) gases expanding from the specifically designed super-sonic nozzle, have been irradiated by femtosecond laser pulses in order to build up a bright debris-free soft X-ray source. Spectroscopy measurements showed that X-ray flux in the strongest oxygen spectral lines (Heβ at 665.7 eV and Lyα at 653.7 eV) produced by the plasma from gas mixture clusters is 2-8 times larger than in the case of using pure CO2 or N2O clusters as targets and reaches values about 2.8x1010 ph/(sr · pulse). Lines intensity and spatial dimension were measured from two observation point - along and perpendicular to the laser beam propagation directions. Images of 100 nm thick Mo foils in a wide field of view (cm2 scale) with high spatial resolution (700 nm) were obtained using LiF crystals as soft X-ray imaging detectors. Agreement between calculated and measured intensity of the image fragment which illustrates overlapping of Mo foil layers confirms accuracy of the plasma parameters measurements.