Demonstration of an intense lithium beam for forward-directed pulsed neutron generation

0560434 - ÚJF 2023 RIV DE eng J - Journal Article
Okamura, M. - Ikeda, S. - Kanesue, T. - Takahashi, K. - Cannavó, Antonino - Ceccio, Giovanni - Cassisa, Anastasia
Demonstration of an intense lithium beam for forward-directed pulsed neutron generation.
Scientific Reports. Roč. 12, č. 1 (2022), č. článku 14016. ISSN 2045-2322. E-ISSN 2045-2322
Grant - others:AV ČR(CZ) MSM100481902
Program: Program na podporu mezinárodní spolupráce začínajících výzkumných pracovníků
Institutional support: RVO:61389005
Keywords : lithium beam driver * accelerator-driven neutron generator
OECD category: Nuclear physics
Impact factor: 4.6, year: 2022
Method of publishing: Open access
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-18270-0

As an alternative to research nuclear reactors, a compact accelerator-driven neutron generator that uses a lithium beam driver could be a promising candidate since it produces almost no undesired radiation. However, providing an intense lithium-ion beam has been difficult, and it has been thought that the practical application of such a device would be impossible. The most critical problem of insufficient ion fluxes has been solved by applying a direct plasma injection scheme. In this scheme, a pulsed high-density plasma from a metallic lithium foil generated by laser ablation is efficiently injected and accelerated by a radio-frequency quadrupole linear accelerator (RFQ linac). We have obtained a peak beam current of 35 mA accelerated to 1.43 MeV, which is two orders of magnitude higher than a conventional injector and accelerator system can deliver.
Permanent Link: https://hdl.handle.net/11104/0333362