Inertial electrostatic confinement: A unique compact accelerator-target source for neutron capture therapy

Conference · Sat Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1994

OSTI ID:199599

Miley, G H ^[1]

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1. Fusion Studies Lab., Urgana, IL (United States)

The economic development of neutron capture therapy requires the availability of a compact, relatively inexpensive neutron source. A variety of accelerator-target concepts are considered competitors for this application, but all require considerable research and development to achieve the goals desired. In this presentation, a new concept is described, the Inertial Electrostatic Confinement or IEC device. The IEC is, in effect, an integrated ion-accelerator, plasma-target device. The use of a plasma-target removes the traditional target-heating issues, transferring heating to other components where it is more easily handled. A gaseous discharge in deuterium (or deuterium-tritium [D-T] mixtures) is developed between a spherical grid and the spherical vacuum-vessel wall. A high voltage applied to the grid not only creates the discharge, but also simultaneously extracts and focuses the ions into a small high-density volume at the center of the sphere where fusion occurs, producing neutrons. A high efficiency is obtained, since this creates a potential configuration which recirculates scattered ions through the dense center volume. Present experimental devices (30- to 60-cm diameter) at the U. of Illinois routinely produce 10{sup 6-7} 2.54-MeV D-D neutrons/sec steady-state/10{sup 8-9}u 14-MeV D-T n/s equivalent. Even higher neutron-emission rates have been achieved in a new pulsed version. As is, these devices are of interest for laboratory experiments, and a scaled-up version could be considered for human treatment. Concepts and issues related to scale-up will be presented.

• DOE Contract Number: FG02-93ER75873
• OSTI ID: 199599
• Report Number(s): CONF-941129--; CNN: Contract 9XG2-Y5958-1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

55 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
BASIC STUDIES
D-D REACTORS
D-T REACTORS
DESIGN
ELECTROSTATIC ACCELERATORS
EPITHERMAL NEUTRONS
INERTIAL CONFINEMENT
NEUTRON CAPTURE THERAPY
NEUTRON SOURCES