Measurement of the tandem mirror experiment x-ray spectrum

We measured x-ray spectrum at the Tandem Mirror Experiment (TMX) facility as a function of time using a new x-ray spectrometer with medium energy resolution that measures as well as identifies x rays in intense and varied particle and radiation backgrounds. The x-ray spectrum was deconvoluted from single-channel energy responses recorded one at a time for each shot. The data for each channel were normalized to the total x-ray energy, which was measured separately for each shot. After a few milliseconds during which conditions within the plasma pulse stabilized, the spectrum consisted of a broad peak with a typical median energy of 0.66 +- 0.04 keV, which can be interpreted as predominantly line emission. Resolution studies indicate that neonlike titanium may be a better interpretation than heliumlike oxygen; however, no quantitative model has been compared