Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 4, 2026

An Experimental Protocol for Femtosecond NIR/UV - XUV Pump-Probe Experiments with Free-Electron Lasers
Published on: October 23, 2018
Note: A portable pulsed neutron source based on the smallest sealed-type plasma focus device
Ram Niranjan1, R K Rout, Prabhat Mishra
1Applied Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India. niranjan@barc.gov.in
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.
Related Concept Videos
Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy: Principle
The ions and electrons produced interact with the fluctuating magnetic field created by a water-cooled...
Nuclear Fusion
A helium nucleus has a mass that is 0.7% less than that of four hydrogen nuclei; this lost mass is converted into energy during the fusion. This reaction produces about...
Atomic Emission Spectroscopy: Instrumentation
Nuclear Transmutation
Nuclear Power
Nuclear Fuels
Nuclear fuel consists of a fissile isotope, such as uranium-235, which must be present in sufficient quantity to provide a...
Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy: Instrumentation
There are three main types of inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) instruments: sequential, simultaneous multichannel, and Fourier transform instruments, with the latter being less commonly used.

