A high-resolution transmission-type x-ray spectrometer designed for observation of the Ka transitions of highly charged high-Z ions

High-resolution reflection-type crystal spectrometers have been used for x-ray energies up to 13 keV, e.g., the K-shell radiation of heliumlike Kr. In order to extend crystal spectrometer measurements to higher energy x rays from higher-Z elements, we employ the crystal in transmission. The geometry we use is known as DuMond geometry. Using such a transmission-type crystal x-ray spectrometer, we have measured the K-shell radiation of various highly charged high-Z ions. In particular, we present a measurement of the 1s2p P1→1s S0 transition in heliumlike xenon, Xe. For this transition, we measure a linewidth of 34 eV, which demonstrates that the resolving power we achieved with the new spectrometer is on the order of 1000. © 1997 American Institute of Physics. @S0034-6748~97!68001-6#