# Characterization of an X-ray Source Generated by a Portable Low-Current X-Pinch
## 4 Conclusions  
A 45 kA current X-pinch system of nanosecond-timescale rising time and \(\sim\)0.9 kA/ns current rate was characterized using different X-pinch wire configurations as a potential efficient source of soft X-rays. An additional experimental setup was developed to characterize the X-pinch scheme as a source of X-rays higher than \(\sim\)6 keV, and a typical/representative application of the proposed X-ray radiography was presented.  
Based on the time-resolved measurements, the X-ray yield was in the range of 50-70 mJ per shot, while the first X-ray burst duration was \(\sim\)3-5 ns and produced a Planckian-type spectrum, with its highest energies in the 7-8 keV range. The X-ray emission that occurred after the pinching time corresponds to bremsstrahlung continuum radiation, including the L-shell characteristic emission lines. Based on the time-integrated measurements, the X-ray emission spectrum has an upper limit at 13 keV for Au-plated W at 55\({}^{\circ}\). Moreover, we found that the time-integrated size of the X-ray source formed in a 2 \(\times\) 5 \(\upmu\)m W X-pinch was \(\sim\)330 \(\upmu\)m. This characterization, in terms of energy, pulse width, and source size, is important for point-projection radiography. The compact tabletop X-pinch is also used for X-ray radiography, and has proven to be ideal for the detection of interior defects in biological samples. High-contrast, \(\sim\)40 \(\upmu\)m spatial resolution radiograms of biological specimens were obtained.  
Furthermore, time-resolved X-ray emission measurements at various energy ranges, using a set of diodes filtered with Ross filter pairs, in association with time-integrated X-ray energy spectra characterization measurements, are in progress in order to enhance the capabilities of the developed X-pinch device for use in backlighting X-ray radiographic diagnostics for dense plasmas and biological samples.  
[PERSON], A.K., C.K. and I.F. performed the experiments; [PERSON] performed the data analysis and wrote the first draft of this paper, assisted by [PERSON] and [PERSON]; [PERSON] and [PERSON] gave essential inputs to the experimental setups; [PERSON] and [PERSON] were critically involved in the understanding of the experimental data and the associated physics; [PERSON] proposed the main idea, was critically involved in the understanding of the experimental data and the associated physics, supervised the experiments, had the responsibility for the writing up of this article, and was invited by this journal for publication. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.  
The authors acknowledge financial support by the \"ELL--LASERLAB Europe Synergy, HiPER& IPERION-CH.gr\" (MIS 5002735), which was implemented under the Action \"Reinforcement of the Research and Innovation Infrastructure\", funded by the Operational Program \"Compentitiveness, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation\" (NSRF 2014-2020), and co-financed by Greece and the European Union (European Regional Development Fund). This research/work was partially carried out within the framework of the IAEA Coordinated Research Project F13020 \"Pathways to Energy from Inertial Fusion--Materials Research and Technology Development\".  
Figure 9: (**a**) A sample of olives and larvae of the olive fruit fly above the film. (**b**) X-ray image obtained from the point-projection radiography method, magnified x\(\sim\)1. The dashed black parallelograms indicate the affected areas.