NX-3 plasma focus device: High flux pulsed neutron source

Summary form only given. Preliminary experimental results of a new, high energy, dense plasma focus device NX-3 that has recently been made operational at Plasma Radiation Source Lab, NIE, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore is reported. The NX-3 capacitor bank stores 20kJ energy in eight modules (of 2.5kJ each) and cumulatively delivers peak current in the range of 200kA to 600kA (depending upon load and operating parameters) in a quarter time period of ~3.5μs. In the recent investigations, at ~10kJ operation, the average neutron yield has been found to be in the order of 10⁹ neutrons/pulse in 4πsr., for the deuterium filling gas pressure range of 6 to 8mbar. Both the time integrated and time resolved techniques are employed simultaneously to study the neutron emission characteristics of this novel device. For the time integrated measurements of neutron yield, ³He proportional counter has been used. The time resolved measurements have been done using plastic scintillator photomultiplier detectors placed at different angular positions. Detailed characterization experiments at higher energies are presently underway and will be reported in the conference. The intended application objectives of high energy NX-3 plasma focus device development is to conduct novel fusion reactor material studies, by investigating their suitability as plasma facing component materials in large upcoming fusion facilities, and to explore the feasibility study towards development plasma focus device based Pulsed Fast Neutron Analysis (PFNA) system for explosive and contraband material detection.