Fast burst and steady-state intense neutron source

Abstract

A system for producing a high flux of neutrons includes a gas-target neutron generator and a fission assembly neutronically coupled to the gas-target neutron generator. The gas-target neutron generator includes an ion source configured to produce an ion beam, an accelerator configured to accelerate the ion beam to produce an accelerated ion beam, a plurality of focus elements configured to focus the accelerated ion beam in an x-direction and a y-direction, and a pumping/gas-target section including a gas target chamber filled with a target gas. The fission assembly is a subcritical or a sub-prompt critical fission assembly. The fission assembly surrounds the gas target chamber. The gas-target neutron generator is a source of initiating neutrons for the fission assembly, and the fission assembly is configured to multiply a number of the initiating neutrons via inducing fission.

1 .- 12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . A system for producing a high flux of neutrons, the system comprising:
 a gas-target neutron generator including
 an ion source configured to produce an ion beam; 
 an accelerator configured to accelerate the ion beam to produce an accelerated ion beam; 
 a plurality of focus elements configured to focus the accelerated ion beam in an x-direction and a y-direction; and 
 a pumping/gas-target section including a gas target chamber filled with a target gas; and 
   a fission assembly neutronically coupled to the gas-target neutron generator,   wherein the fission assembly is a subcritical or a sub-prompt critical fission assembly,   wherein the fission assembly surrounds the gas target chamber, and   wherein the gas-target neutron generator is a source of initiating neutrons for the fission assembly, and the fission assembly is configured to multiply a number of the initiating neutrons via inducing fission.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the target gas of the gas-target neutron generator is comprised of either deuterium or tritium. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the ion beam produced by the ion source is a deuterium ion beam and the target gas is tritium gas. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , further comprising a tritium purification system configured to purify a mixed tritium and deuterium gas resulting from an interaction between accelerated deuterium ions and the tritium gas in the gas target chamber, and return purified tritium gas into the gas target chamber,
 wherein the tritium purification system is configured to control a neutron output of the gas-target neutron generator by controlling a percentage of tritium in the gas target chamber by controlling a flow rate of the purified tritium gas into the gas target chamber.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the ion source is a microwave ion source configured to produce an ion beam comprised of deuterium ions. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the microwave ion source is configured to operate at an extraction current of 10-200 mA. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of focus elements comprises a plurality of electrostatic quadrupole elements. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of focus elements comprises a plurality of magnetic solenoid elements. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 13 , further comprising a differential pumping system configured to maintain a first pressure differential between an outside atmosphere and the accelerator, a second pressure differential between the outside atmosphere and the gas target chamber, and a third pressure differential between the accelerator and the gas target chamber.