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

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.