A Plasma Focus device as ultra-high dose rate pulsed radiation source. Part II: X-ray pulses characterization

A PF device has been setup, studied and evaluated as a fast pulsed self-collimated electron beam source for X-ray generation for radiotherapy applications. The worth of this source stands on the extremely short generation time (50 ns as reference delivery time) and on its intensity, being able to produce X-ray pulses able to transfer a dose in the order of 1 Gy each. The electron-X-ray conversion process for several metal targets is here analyzed using Monte Carlo simulations based on measured electron spectra discussed in Part I; some results have been benchmarked with experimental data. The perspectives of the development of a medical source based on this technology are finally evaluated.