Mobile X-ray unit

A mobile X-ray unit comprising:

• an X-ray tube having an anode and a cathode and an anode-cathode gap therebetween;
• a power supply for providing a predetermined voltage;
• control electronics having first input and first output stages, said first input stage being responsive to at least one input pulse for generating a first trigger pulse at said first output stage;
• and
• a Marx generator having second input and second output stages, said second output stage being coupled across said anode and said cathode of said x-ray tube, said Marx generator comprising:
• a plurality of spark gap switches, including first and last spark gap switches, and a UV photoionization source, each of said spark-gap switches and said UV source having anode and cathode electrodes spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance and providing a high resistance path therebetween, said UV photoionization source generating a second trigger pulse which acts to sequentially close said plurality of spark-gap switches, said second input stage being coupled between said anode and said cathode electrodes of said first spark-gap switch;
• a plurality of capacitors coupled to said power supply and arranged in parallel so that each capacitor is charged to said predetermined voltage from said power supply, said plurality of capacitors being arranged in cascade with said spark-gap switches so as to be discharged in series in response to said second trigger pulse and produce an output pulse at the output stage of the Marx generator having an amplitude that is proportional to the accumulative voltage to which said plurality of capacitors are charged.