Method and apparatus for cooling the radiation sources on the basis of a plasma

The invention relates to a method and apparatus for cooling the radiation sources on the basis of a plasma. The object of the invention to provide a robust and effective cooling of the plasma-based radiation sources, even with greatly varying degrees of heat without extensive temperature control and without the risk of solidification of a metallic coolant to realize, is achieved according to the invention by the orbiting component (12) as it moves through partial immersion in a erschmolzenes metal as a first cooling means (11) is cooled, a secondary cooling by thermal contact of the first cooling means (11) takes place with a second cooling means (21) in a closed vessel (2), wherein a hermetically separated vessel part (15; 18) transferred to the first cooling means (11), the second coolant (21) having a boiling temperature (T Melting temperature (T