4 research outputs found
Production of thermonuclear neutrons from deuterium-filled capsule implosion experiments driven by Z-Pinch dynamic hohlraums at Sandia National Laboratories' Z facility
Deuterium-filled capsule implosion experiments that
employ the dynamic hohlraum are presently being conducted on the Z facility
at Sandia National Laboratories. This paper will address the evidence for
thermonuclear neutron production in the initial series and subsequent series
of experiments that have been conducted to date employing Be, plastic, and
glass capsules. The novelty of this approach motivated using several
techniques to determine that the neutrons were thermonuclear in origin. The
diagnostic techniques employed consist of measuring the average neutron
energy and yield isotropy in two directions that were separated by a polar
angle of 102 degrees. Additional “null” experiments were also employed
that used the addition of Xe gas to the deuterium gas fill to suppress
fusion neutron yields from the capsules by an order of magnitude. Use of
these techniques are of particular importance because alternative,
nonthermonuclear neutron processes were previously found to exist in Z-pinch
and dense plasma focus plasmas. Such processes typically involved the
creation of directed energetic ions leading to the production of nonthermal,
“ion beam” generated neutrons. If not properly diagnosed, neutrons
produced by these nonthermal processes could be misinterpreted as
thermonuclear in origin