title: Note: A portable pulsed neutron source based on the smallest sealed-type plasma focus device.
abstract: Development and operation of a portable and compact pulsed neutron source based on sealed-type plasma focus (PF) device are reported. The unit is the smallest sealed-type neutron producing PF device. The effective volume of the PF unit is 33 cm(3) only. A compact size single capacitor (4 μF) is used as the energy driver. A battery based power supply unit is used for charging the capacitor and triggering the spark gap. The PF unit is operated at 10 kV (200 J) and at a deuterium gas filling pressure of 8 mb. The device is operated over a time span of 200 days and the neutron emissions have been observed for 200 shots without changing the gas in between the shots. The maximum yield of this device is 7.8 × 10(4) neutrons/pulse. Beyond 200 shots the yield is below the threshold (1050 neutrons/pulse) of our (3)He detector. The neutron energy is evaluated using time of flight technique and the value is (2.49 ± 0.27) MeV. The measured neutron pulse width is (24 ± 5) ns. Multishot and long duration operations envisage the potentiality of such portable device for repetitive mode of operation.
authors.affiliation: Applied Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India. niranjan@barc.gov.in
authors.forename: Ram
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Niranjan
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Rout
authors.forename: Prabhat
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mishra
authors.forename: Rohit
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Srivastava
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Rawool
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Kaushik
authors.forename: Satish C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Gupta