A gaseous discharge based D-D neutron generator

Summary form only given. A D-D neutron generator is being developed for thermal neutron activation applications based on gaseous discharge phenomena. The generator is cylindrical and employs a 0.5' diameter solid cylindrical target held at negative high voltage (cathode). A surrounding cylindrical grid and cylindrical chamber walls provide the ground path for the discharge. The chamber is filled with deuterium gas at pressure on the order of 30 mTorr. Deuterons accelerated towards the solid cathode fuse with deuterium embedded in the cathode metal matrix. Thus, the neutron source region is a line, which can be made to any desired length. This geometry has obvious advantages over point sources for calibrating tokamak diagnostics in large machines, and also has advantages for many of the thermal neutron activation applications. The discharge itself provides a means of deuterium ion implantation in the cathode material and the target is therefore self-replenishing. The source has successfully demonstrated D-D neutron production at rates higher than those of pure gas target electrostatic devices.