Efficient Neutron Production from a Novel Configuration of Deuterium Gas-Puff Z-Pinch

0427327 - ÚJF 2015 RIV US eng J - Journal Article
Klir, D. - Kubeš, P. - Řezáč, K. - Cikhardt, J. - Kravarik, J. - Šíla, O. - Shishlov, A. V. - Kovalchuk, B. M. - Ratakhin, N. A. - Kokshenev, V. A. - Labetsky, A. Yu. - Cherdizov, R. K. - Fursov, F. I. - Kurmaev, N. E. - Dudkin, G. N. - Nechaev, B. A. - Padalko, V. N. - Orčíková, Hana - Turek, Karel
Efficient Neutron Production from a Novel Configuration of Deuterium Gas-Puff Z-Pinch.
Physical Review Letters. Roč. 112, č. 9 (2014), 095001. ISSN 0031-9007. E-ISSN 1079-7114
R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP205/12/0454; GA MŠMT(CZ) LG13029
Grant - others:GA MŠk(CZ) LH13283
Institutional support: RVO:61389005
Keywords : deuterium * neutron yield * neutron production
Subject RIV: BG - Nuclear, Atomic and Molecular Physics, Colliders
Impact factor: 7.512, year: 2014

A novel configuration of a deuterium z pinch has been used to generate fusion neutrons. Injecting an outer hollow cylindrical plasma shell around an inner deuterium gas puff, neutron yields from DD reactions reached Y-n = (2.9 +/- 0.3) x 10(12) at 700 ns implosion time and 2.7 MA current. Such a neutron yield means a tenfold increase in comparison with previous deuterium gas puff experiments at the same current generator. The increase of beam-target yields was obtained by a larger amount of current assembled on the z-pinch axis, and subsequently by higher induced voltage and higher energies of deuterons. A stack of CR-39 track detectors on the z-pinch axis showed hydrogen ions up to 38 MeV. Maximum neutron energies of 15 and 22 MeV were observed by radial and axial time-of-flight detectors, respectively. The number of DD neutrons per one joule of stored plasma energy approached 5 x 10(7). This implies that deuterium gas puff z pinches belong to the most efficient plasma-based sources of DD neutrons.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0232896