NEUTRON EMISSION OF HIGH CURRENT DEUTERIUM DISCHARGES

Journal Article · Tue Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1958 · Zeitschrift fuer Naturforschung (West Germany) Divided into Z. Nautrforsch., A, and Z. Naturforsch., B: Anorg. Chem., Org. Chem., Biochem., Biophys.,

OSTI ID:4313946

Funfer, E; Herold, H; Lehner, G; Tuezek, H; Andelfinger, C

BS>A 40 mu f condenser bank of 40-kv maximum was discharged over a discharge vessel 50 cm in length and 20 cm in dinmeter and filled with very pure deuterium. The current intensity was more than 100 kamp, the current rise time was 0.63 x 10/sup 12/ amp/sec, and the length of a quarter period was 2.5 x 10/ sup -6/ sec. A repeated compression of the plasma occurred through the pinch effect, which was detected by current and voltage measurements. As a result of the compression, neutrons appeared, whose total number was determined by activation measurements to a maximum of 10/sup 7/ per discharge. These neutrons originate from a deuterium fusion process. The moment of their formation was determined with a fast scintillation counter and correlated with the breaks appearing in the current flow. The luminescenees appearing in the plasma compression were investigated with a Kerr cell camera, so that in individual cases a plasma hollow cylinder contracting with velocities of 10/sup 7/ cm/sec on the axes was observed. Because of the relative long length of the neutron pulse of approximately 2.5 x 10/sup -6/ sec, the sensitivity of the neutron intensity toward foreign gas, and the lack of a hard x irradiation, it could he assumed that at least partially thermal equilibrium must have occurred. Under these assumptions an estimation of the plasma temperature was made by various methods. With consideration of the uncertainties of these assumptions, a temperature of some 10/sup 6/ deg K is not improbable. (tr-auth)

• Research Organization: Technischen Hochschule, Munich
• NSA Number: NSA-12-015670
• OSTI ID: 4313946
• Journal Information: Zeitschrift fuer Naturforschung (West Germany) Divided into Z. Nautrforsch., A, and Z. Naturforsch., B: Anorg. Chem., Org. Chem., Biochem., Biophys.,, Journal Name: Zeitschrift fuer Naturforschung (West Germany) Divided into Z. Nautrforsch., A, and Z. Naturforsch., B: Anorg. Chem., Org. Chem., Biochem., Biophys., Vol. Vol: 13a; ISSN ZNTFA
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: German

Related Subjects

ACTIVATION
BREAKDOWN
CAMERAS
CAPACITORS
CONFINEMENT
CURRENTS
CYLINDERS
DEUTERIUM
DISTANCE
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
ELECTRON TUBES
EMISSION
FREQUENCY
GASES
HIGH TEMPERATURE
IRRADIATION
LUMINESCENCE
MEASURED VALUES
NEUTRONS
NUMERICALS
OSCILLATIONS
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHYSICS
PINCH
PLASMA
PRESSURE
PULSES
QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS
SCINTILLATION COUNTERS
SENSITIVITY
STABILITY
THERMONUCLEAR REACTIONS
TUBES
VELOCITY
X RADIATION