Optimal conditions for efficient ion acceleration and neutron production in deuterium gas-puff z-pinches
Deuterium gas-puff z-pinches are researched primarily as efficient sources of DD fusion neutrons. The first experiment with a deuterium gas jet was carried out in 1978 (Shiloh et al 1978 Phys. Rev. Lett. 40 515518). Since then, several D _2 gas-puff experiments have been performed on various pulsed-...
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IOP Publishing
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Nuclear Fusion |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1741-4326/ad9c96 |
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| author | D. Klir S.L. Jackson J. Cikhardt B. Cikhardtova P. Kubes J. Malir V. Munzar J. Novotny K. Rezac |
| author_facet | D. Klir S.L. Jackson J. Cikhardt B. Cikhardtova P. Kubes J. Malir V. Munzar J. Novotny K. Rezac |
| author_sort | D. Klir |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Deuterium gas-puff z-pinches are researched primarily as efficient sources of DD fusion neutrons. The first experiment with a deuterium gas jet was carried out in 1978 (Shiloh et al 1978 Phys. Rev. Lett. 40 515518). Since then, several D _2 gas-puff experiments have been performed on various pulsed-power generators. The highest, so far published, DD neutron yields of $4\times10^{13}$ were observed on the Z machine at Sandia National Laboratories around 2005 (Coverdale et al 2007 Phys. Plasmas 14 022706). More recently, z-pinch experiments with a plasma-shell on a deuterium gas puff were carried out on the GIT-12 higher-impedance pulsed-power generator at 3 MA currents. On GIT-12, unique results were high neutron and ion energies, which approached 60 MeV. Comparison of deuterium gas-puff experiments on different generators allows the identification of the parameters essential for optimizing neutron production. These parameters include the optimal mass, preionization, short deuterium gas-injection time, and zippering towards a cathode. Neutron yields appear to depend not only on a current, but also on other parameters of a generator, such as an impedance and the energy stored in a capacitor bank. Our conclusions regarding the optimal conditions were tested on the Hawk generator (NRL, Washington, DC). At a current of 0.7 MA, Hawk accelerated deuterons up to 15 MeV producing one neutron pulse with the yield of the order of 10 ^10 and a broad energy spectrum in the axial and radial direction. These results show that ion acceleration mechanisms in deuterium gas-puff z-pinches could be very efficient and attractive, with a variety of potential applications in high-energy-density physics, materials science, and controlled thermonuclear fusion research. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0029-5515 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nuclear Fusion |
| spelling | doaj-art-65a253b2445c480fad5cf2a538a895902024-12-24T09:48:53ZengIOP PublishingNuclear Fusion0029-55152024-01-0165202601410.1088/1741-4326/ad9c96Optimal conditions for efficient ion acceleration and neutron production in deuterium gas-puff z-pinchesD. Klir0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0510-3653S.L. Jackson1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5639-0752J. Cikhardt2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8222-8038B. Cikhardtova3https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3636-2794P. Kubes4https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1356-8765J. Malir5V. Munzar6https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8863-6270J. Novotny7https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4703-6022K. Rezac8https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2002-2886Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague , 16627 Prague 6, Czech RepublicPlasma Physics Division, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory , Washington, DC 20375, United States of AmericaFaculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague , 16627 Prague 6, Czech RepublicFaculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague , 16627 Prague 6, Czech RepublicFaculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague , 16627 Prague 6, Czech RepublicFaculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague , 16627 Prague 6, Czech RepublicFaculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague , 16627 Prague 6, Czech RepublicFaculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague , 16627 Prague 6, Czech RepublicFaculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague , 16627 Prague 6, Czech RepublicDeuterium gas-puff z-pinches are researched primarily as efficient sources of DD fusion neutrons. The first experiment with a deuterium gas jet was carried out in 1978 (Shiloh et al 1978 Phys. Rev. Lett. 40 515518). Since then, several D _2 gas-puff experiments have been performed on various pulsed-power generators. The highest, so far published, DD neutron yields of $4\times10^{13}$ were observed on the Z machine at Sandia National Laboratories around 2005 (Coverdale et al 2007 Phys. Plasmas 14 022706). More recently, z-pinch experiments with a plasma-shell on a deuterium gas puff were carried out on the GIT-12 higher-impedance pulsed-power generator at 3 MA currents. On GIT-12, unique results were high neutron and ion energies, which approached 60 MeV. Comparison of deuterium gas-puff experiments on different generators allows the identification of the parameters essential for optimizing neutron production. These parameters include the optimal mass, preionization, short deuterium gas-injection time, and zippering towards a cathode. Neutron yields appear to depend not only on a current, but also on other parameters of a generator, such as an impedance and the energy stored in a capacitor bank. Our conclusions regarding the optimal conditions were tested on the Hawk generator (NRL, Washington, DC). At a current of 0.7 MA, Hawk accelerated deuterons up to 15 MeV producing one neutron pulse with the yield of the order of 10 ^10 and a broad energy spectrum in the axial and radial direction. These results show that ion acceleration mechanisms in deuterium gas-puff z-pinches could be very efficient and attractive, with a variety of potential applications in high-energy-density physics, materials science, and controlled thermonuclear fusion research.https://doi.org/10.1088/1741-4326/ad9c96deuteriummagneto-inertial fusionneutron diagnosticsz-pinchoptimization |
| spellingShingle | D. Klir S.L. Jackson J. Cikhardt B. Cikhardtova P. Kubes J. Malir V. Munzar J. Novotny K. Rezac Optimal conditions for efficient ion acceleration and neutron production in deuterium gas-puff z-pinches Nuclear Fusion deuterium magneto-inertial fusion neutron diagnostics z-pinch optimization |
| title | Optimal conditions for efficient ion acceleration and neutron production in deuterium gas-puff z-pinches |
| title_full | Optimal conditions for efficient ion acceleration and neutron production in deuterium gas-puff z-pinches |
| title_fullStr | Optimal conditions for efficient ion acceleration and neutron production in deuterium gas-puff z-pinches |
| title_full_unstemmed | Optimal conditions for efficient ion acceleration and neutron production in deuterium gas-puff z-pinches |
| title_short | Optimal conditions for efficient ion acceleration and neutron production in deuterium gas-puff z-pinches |
| title_sort | optimal conditions for efficient ion acceleration and neutron production in deuterium gas puff z pinches |
| topic | deuterium magneto-inertial fusion neutron diagnostics z-pinch optimization |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1741-4326/ad9c96 |
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