Observation of neutron bursts produced by laboratory high-voltage atmospheric discharge.
For the first time the emission of neutron bursts in the process of high-voltage discharge in air was observed. Experiments were carried out at an average electric field strength of ∼1  MV·m(-1) and discharge current of ∼10  kA. Two independent methods (CR-39 track detectors and plastic scintillation detectors) registered neutrons within the range from thermal energies up to energies above 10 MeV and with an average flux density of ≳10(6)  cm(-2) per shot inside the discharge zone. Neutron generation occurs at the initial phase of the discharge and correlates with x-ray generation. The data obtained allow us to assume that during the discharge fast neutrons are mainly produced.
P.N. Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (FIAN), Leninsky Prospekt, 53, Moscow 119991, Russia.
A V
AV
Agafonov
A V
AV
Bagulya
O D
OD
Dalkarov
M A
MA
Negodaev
A V
AV
Oginov
A S
AS
Rusetskiy
V A
VA
Ryabov
K V
KV
Shpakov