Experimental research of neutron yield and spectrum from deuterium gas-puff z-pinch on the GIT-12 generator at current above 2 MA

The Z-pinch experiments with deuterium gas-puff surrounded by an outer plasma shell were carried out on the GIT-12 generator (Tomsk, Russia) at currents of 2 MA. The plasma shell consisting of hydrogen and carbon ions was formed by 48 plasma guns. The deuterium gas-puff was created by a fast electromagnetic valve. This configuration provides an efficient mode of the neutron production in DD reaction, and the neutron yield reaches a value above 1012 neutrons per shot. Neutron diagnostics included scintillation TOF detectors for determination of the neutron energy spectrum, bubble detectors BD-PND, a silver activation detector, and several activation samples for determination of the neutron yield analysed by a Sodium Iodide (NaI) and a high-purity Germanium (HPGe) detectors. Using this neutron diagnostic complex, we measured the total neutron yield and amount of high-energy neutrons

The study of inorganic scintillating materials

The procedure for measuring the temporal characteristics and light output of inorganic scintillating materials excited by [beta]-, [gamma]-, and [alpha]-particles from radioactive sources is described. Results of measurements of characteristics are presented for ~30 scintillating compounds including cerium-doped yttrium silicate and scandium borate; europium-doped strontium phosphate; cerium-doped strontium silicate, calcium silicate and magnesium calcium silicate, etc. Upon [beta]- and [gamma]-excitation, cerium-doped scandium borate gives the highest light output with a fluorescent lifetime of 40±4 ns. The highest light output for [alpha]-excitation was from cerium-doped yttrium aluminum perovskite, with a fluorescent lifetime of 29±3 ns