Eur. Phys. J. D 27, 77-81 (2003)
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2003-00247-9

D-D neutron yield in the 125 J dense plasma focus Nanofocus

Instituto de Física Arroyo Seco, Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires and CONICET, Tandil, Argentina

Corresponding author: ^a pouzo@exa.unicen.edu.ar

Received: 25 February 2003
Revised: 29 April 2003
Published online: 5 August 2003

Abstract

We present here a very small transportable dense plasma focus with 125 J of energy able to be used mainly as an intense fast neutron source. The aim of this work was to design, construct and experimentally study a very compact nuclear fusion apparatus, at the lower energy limit, useful for multiple applications, such as soil humidity measurements, inspection of several materials metallic inclusions, medical neutron-therapies, etc. Besides, the possibility of using the same device as X-rays emitter has been explored. In a narrow range of deuterium filling pressure around 1 mbar, peaked Rogowski dips are observed. Correspondingly, strong neutron and hard X-ray pulses are measured. The neutron pulses last, in average, 50 ns, being about 10⁶ the amount of neutrons per pulse. The performance of this device has shown to be higher than any other plasma focus apparatus, compared on the empirical scaling law of neutron yield vs. pinch current.