Small plasma focus as neutron pulsed source for nuclides identification

Abstract

In this paper, we present preliminary results on the feasibility of employing a low energy (2 kJ, 31 kV) plasma focus device as a portable source of pulsed neutron beams (2.45 MeV) generated by nuclear fusion reactions D-D, for the "in situ" analysis of substances by nuclear activation. This source has the relevant advantage of being pulsed at requirement, transportable, not permanently radioactive, without radioactive waste, cheap, among others. We prove the feasibility of using this source showing several spectra of the characteristic emission line for manganese, gold, lead, and silver. © 2013 AIP Publishing LLC. [http://dx

High yield (⩾108/pulse) DD neutron generator based on a compact, transportable and low energy plasma focus device

“…In view of its wide-ranging applications, the PF device has been extensively developed and characterized in different laboratories across the world at wide operating energy ranging from 0.1 J to MJ [18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37] since its inception in the early 1960s independently by J W Mather [13] and N V Filippov [14]. Even after more than six decades of intensive research and development, it is still being developed worldwide for various applications as mentioned above.…”

“…Moreover, PF devices of moderately high neutron yield (∼10 8 neutrons/pulse) but of compact size have specifically been in demand in recent years due to their convenient transportability and easy commissioning as well as their being radiologically safe on account of the moderate pulsed neutron dose produced on demand. Several PF devices producing ∼10 8 DD neutrons/pulse have been developed worldwide [25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37]. For example, the UNU/ICTP PFF [25] is a 3.3 kJ Mather-type PF system powered by a single 15 kV, 30 µF Maxwell capacitor switched on by a simple parallel-plate swinging cascade air gap.…”

A study of the effects of the cathode configuration on the plasma kinetics and neutron emission of plasma-focus discharges in deuterium

“…Finally, the CS arrives at the electrodes end and collapses radially, generating a plasma column, called pinch, with ion densities in the range of 10 19 particles per cubic centimeter and temperatures up to some keV [3][4][5][6]. Depending on the filling gas, x-ray and neutron pulses are emitted from the pinch, which have been proposed for a number of applications, ranging from introspection imaging to substance detection, among others [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19].…”

Development and performance characterization of a compact plasma focus based portable fast neutron generator

“…Presently, owing to spin-offs from the Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) application [7][8][9][10], there is a consistently growing demand for cost effective, compact and energy efficient, standalone and transportable types of neutron generators. In this context, our newly developed system satisfies the aforementioned requirements to a large extent.…”

“…In the category of compact standalone pulsed power system (having single capacitor and switch) based DPF devices that have been developed across the globe [11,12], this new system poses much lower inductance and it consequently results in a higher peak and pinch current, and therefore a relatively higher neutron yield [13] per Joule of stored energy. The overall size of this newly developed neutron source is just one-fourth of a previously developed source that produces an average neutron yield of ∼4×10 9 neutrons/shot at ∼7 kJ discharge [14]. In this paper, along with a description of the system hardware design and construction, the results of characterization experiments carried out on this newly developed dense neutron generator with a closely integrated, compact, standalone pulsed power system are reported in detail.…”