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

Title: Ultrahigh charging of dust grains by the beam−plasma method for creating a compact neutron source

Journal Article · · Plasma Physics Reports
; ; ; ;  [1]
  1. Troitsk Institute for Innovation and Fusion Research (Russian Federation)

Generation of high-voltage high-current electron beams in a low-pressure (P = 0.1–1 Torr) gas discharge is studied experimentally as a function of the discharge voltage and the sort and pressure of the plasma-forming gas. The density of the plasma formed by a high-current electron beam is measured. Experiments on ultrahigh charging of targets exposed to a pulsed electron beam with an energy of up to 25 keV, an electron current density of higher than 1 A/cm{sup 2}, a pulse duration of up to 1 μs, and a repetition rate of up to 1 kHz are described. A numerical model of ultrahigh charging of dust grains exposed to a high-energy electron beam is developed. The formation of high-energy positive ions in the field of negatively charged plane and spherical targets is calculated. The calculations performed for a pulse-periodic mode demonstrate the possibility of achieving neutron yields of higher than 10{sup 6} s{sup –1} cm{sup –2} in the case of a plane target and about 10{sup 9} s{sup –1} in the case of 10{sup 3} spherical targets, each with a radius of 250 μm.

OSTI ID:
22471840
Journal Information:
Plasma Physics Reports, Vol. 42, Issue 1; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2016 Pleiades Publishing, Ltd.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1063-780X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English