X-ray acquisition and electronic digital readout by charge coupled devices

X-ray imaging adapted to laser-matter interaction experiments consists in recording plasma images from its X-ray emission; these phenomena have between 100 ps and some nanoseconds duration. Investigation of the laser-driven plasma may require the formation and the detection of two-dimensional images formed by X-ray microscopes or spectrometers in the soft X-ray range (from about 50 eV to some keV). To reach that purpose, we have developed and tested two opto-electronic chains. The first one is built around a small image converter tube with a soft X-ray photocathode and P20 phosphor screen deposited on a fiber optic plate; the electronic image appearing on the screen is read by a C.C.D. working in the visible spectral range. The second one, designed to work below 100eV is realized with a very thin phosphor screen deposited on the fiber optic input of a visible microchannel image intensifier; the output image is then read by a C.C.D. in the same manner than previously