skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Negative ion-driven associated particle neutron generator [Negative Ion-Based Associated Particle Neutron Generator]

Abstract

We describe an associated particle neutron generator that employs a negative ion source to produce high neutron flux from a small source size. Furthermore, negative ions produced in an rf-driven plasma source are extracted through a small aperture to form a beam which bombards a positively biased, high voltage target electrode. Electrons co-extracted with the negative ions are removed by a permanent magnet electron filter. The use of negative ions enables high neutron output (100% atomic ion beam), high quality imaging (small neutron source size), and reliable operation (no high voltage breakdowns). Finally, the neutron generator can operate in either pulsed or continuous-wave (cw) mode and has been demonstrated to produce 106 D-D n/s (equivalent to similar to 108 D-T n/s) from a 1 mm-diameter neutron source size to facilitate high fidelity associated particle imaging.

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [2];  [2]
  1. Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States)
  2. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States); Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation
OSTI Identifier:
1344467
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1324153; OSTI ID: 1359623
Report Number(s):
SAND-2015-5866J
Journal ID: ISSN 0168-9002; PII: S0168900215011687
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC04-94AL85000; AC05-00OR22725
Resource Type:
Journal Article: Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 806; Journal ID: ISSN 0168-9002
Publisher:
Elsevier
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY; Neutron generator; Associated particle imaging; Negative ion Source; Neutron interrogation; neutron generator; associated particle imaging; negative ion source; neutron interrogation

Citation Formats

Antolak, A. J., Leung, K. N., Morse, D. H., Donovan, D. C., Chames, J. M., Whaley, J. A., Buchenauer, D. A., Chen, A. X., Hausladen, P. A., and Liang, F. Negative ion-driven associated particle neutron generator [Negative Ion-Based Associated Particle Neutron Generator]. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1016/j.nima.2015.09.097.
Antolak, A. J., Leung, K. N., Morse, D. H., Donovan, D. C., Chames, J. M., Whaley, J. A., Buchenauer, D. A., Chen, A. X., Hausladen, P. A., & Liang, F. Negative ion-driven associated particle neutron generator [Negative Ion-Based Associated Particle Neutron Generator]. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2015.09.097
Antolak, A. J., Leung, K. N., Morse, D. H., Donovan, D. C., Chames, J. M., Whaley, J. A., Buchenauer, D. A., Chen, A. X., Hausladen, P. A., and Liang, F. 2015. "Negative ion-driven associated particle neutron generator [Negative Ion-Based Associated Particle Neutron Generator]". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2015.09.097. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1344467.
@article{osti_1344467,
title = {Negative ion-driven associated particle neutron generator [Negative Ion-Based Associated Particle Neutron Generator]},
author = {Antolak, A. J. and Leung, K. N. and Morse, D. H. and Donovan, D. C. and Chames, J. M. and Whaley, J. A. and Buchenauer, D. A. and Chen, A. X. and Hausladen, P. A. and Liang, F.},
abstractNote = {We describe an associated particle neutron generator that employs a negative ion source to produce high neutron flux from a small source size. Furthermore, negative ions produced in an rf-driven plasma source are extracted through a small aperture to form a beam which bombards a positively biased, high voltage target electrode. Electrons co-extracted with the negative ions are removed by a permanent magnet electron filter. The use of negative ions enables high neutron output (100% atomic ion beam), high quality imaging (small neutron source size), and reliable operation (no high voltage breakdowns). Finally, the neutron generator can operate in either pulsed or continuous-wave (cw) mode and has been demonstrated to produce 106 D-D n/s (equivalent to similar to 108 D-T n/s) from a 1 mm-diameter neutron source size to facilitate high fidelity associated particle imaging.},
doi = {10.1016/j.nima.2015.09.097},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1344467}, journal = {Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment},
issn = {0168-9002},
number = ,
volume = 806,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Oct 09 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Fri Oct 09 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}

Journal Article:

Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 15 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

Figures / Tables:

Figure 1 Figure 1: Photo of the negative ion-based associated particle neutron generator.

Save / Share:
Figures/Tables have been extracted from DOE-funded journal article accepted manuscripts.