Patent ID: 7679027

Claim:
A method of producing stimulated emission of soft x-ray radiation by z-pinch compression of a rotating plasma, comprising the steps of: applying a magnetic field to a rotating containment tube having a longitudinal axis and first and second ends, said magnetic field being applied by operation of a solenoidal electromagnet positioned concentrically around said rotating containment tube, the axis of said magnetic field and of said solenoidal electromagnet extending coaxially with said axis of said rotating containment tube; introducing a feed gas into said rotating containment tube by emission from a plasma gun at said first end, said plasma gun having a tubular cathode positioned coaxially inside a tubular anode, said tubular cathode and said tubular anode being positioned coaxially with respect to one another and with respect to said longitudinal axis of tubular cathode and said tubular anode, said tubular cathode and said tubular anode defining an annular space between them which opens into said tubular cathode and said tubular anode at said first end, said tubular cathode having perforations therein, said feed gas being introduced through said tubular cathode and emitted radially outwardly therefrom through said perforations into said annular space; ionizing said feed gas as it is emitted from said tubular cathode by application of an electric potential across said tubular cathode and said tubular anode so as to ionize said feed gas and to produce a rotating plasma column in said tubular cathode and said tubular anode that is driven in rotation by said magnetic field and by mechanically induced viscous drag of said rotating containment tube; and passing a rapidly increasing axial electric current through said rotating plasma column by application of a high power, high voltage electrical potential of at least approximately 700,000 volts to said rotating plasma column between said tubular anode of said plasma gun at said first end and a second cathode at said second end of said rotating containment tube, so as to magnetically compress said rotating plasma column solely by z-pinch compression to a temperature and density sufficient to achieve population inversion and resulting stimulated emission of soft x-ray radiation.