PURPOSE

    The streak camera is intended for recording an images and measuring the spatial-temporal parameters of fast runing processes within soft X-ray range.
    The camera should be operated within a vacuum chamber containing a source of soft X-ray.
    The camera can be applied to plasma physics, quantum electronics, nuclear physics, X-ray spectroscopy, and so on. 


CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATING PRINCIPLE

    The main components of the streak camera are:
- PV-204X open X-ray image converter tube containing a changeable slit from CsJ or Au photocathodes on parylen films or berylliym foil and two pair of deflection plates
- a micro-channel image intensifier AP-10
- a power supply unit
- a control unit with sweep and gate pulse generators
- a CCD readout unit

    These components are assembled within the metal mini case and can be updated. The camera is provided with sealing flange for attaching it to vacuum chambers. The sealing flange is connected with the tube by means of a bellow.

    X-ray photons irradiate to the entrance aperture. It forms the slit image of the phenomenon to be analyzed. The slit image is transferred to photocathode of the streak tube, which in response to the incident photons emits photoelectrons. The extremely high electric field near the photocathode accelerates photoelectrons and reduces spread transit-times of it. The electron optics focuses the emitted photoelectrons on the screen. The deflection plates sweep the photoelectron image over screen of the streak tube, creating a linear time base perpendicular to the spatial axis. The phosphor screen converts the photoelectron pattern into a visible image to be coupled to the micro-channel image intensifier. The image is conducted from the streak tube screen to the photocathode of the micro-channel image intensifier by fiber optic coupling. The intensified image is readout from intensifier screen by CCD TV camera (1392x1032 pixels, 12 bits ADC).