Investigation on Mo Kα radiation from pulsed-power-driven needle-and-blade diode

This article discusses the factors influencing the yields of molybdenum Kα radiations from a pulsed-power driven needle-and-blade diode for the application of real-time x-ray diffraction of shocked solids. Based on our 300 kV/10 kA pulsed power stand, electrical properties (diode voltage, current and deposited energy) and energy spectrum were evaluated under different diode configurations. It is found that the diode voltage plays an important role in the production of Kα radiation. A large emission angle was beneficial for obtaining higher Kα photon yields and the deposited power on diode could be generally used to predict the Kα radiation. These results are helpful to guide the development of pulsed power diode for dynamic x-ray diffraction applications.