Observation of the focusing of x-ray transition radiation using cylindrical optics

We have measured the profile of x rays generated by a transition radiator and focused by simple cylindrical optics. Soft x rays with photon energies between 1 and 4 keV were generated by a 93‐MeV electron beam striking a stack of eight foils of 3.5‐μm‐thick mylar. These x rays were emitted in an annular cone and were collected by a quartz cylinder which focused the x rays to a 0.5‐mm‐diam spot at a distance of 1.35 m from the transition radiator.