7.2: High-field deuterium ion sources for neutron generators

It is generally accepted that active neutron interrogation is a reliable means of detecting the presence of shielded special nuclear material, in particular highly enriched uranium. We are facilitating the deployment of portable active neutron interrogation systems for field detection applications by developing a new atomic deuterium ion source for compact, accelerator-driven neutron generators. This ion source uses high electric fields at the surfaces of microfabricated tip arrays to produce atomic deuterium ions.