Preliminary Results of Low Pressure Discharge Experiments of a Cylindrical Inertial Electrostatic Confinement Fusion Device Aimed for a Small Neutron Source

Takanori Higashi; Takahito Tomizawa; Mitsugu Daino; Yasushi Yamamoto

doi:dx.doi.org/10.13182/FST03-A394

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Preliminary Results of Low Pressure Discharge Experiments of a Cylindrical Inertial Electrostatic Confinement Fusion Device Aimed for a Small Neutron Source

Takanori Higashi, Takahito Tomizawa, Mitsugu Daino, Yasushi Yamamoto

Fusion Science and Technology / Volume 44 / Number 2 / September 2003 / Pages 544-548

Technical Paper / Fusion Energy - Nonelectric Applications / dx.doi.org/10.13182/FST03-A394

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The effects of operating gas pressure on a Cylindrical Inertial Electrostatic Confinement Fusion (IECF) device are investigated. First we did glow discharge experiments, and we obtained 1.8 × 10⁶ neutrons production per second with 45-kV, 44-mA discharge at 1.2 Pa. Next we modified the device and tried to reduce the operating gas pressure with an ion source, aimed to increase neutron production. Although the discharge currents are small, we can make steady discharges at less than 0.1 Pa. The neutron production rates per current are larger than those of glow discharge at higher pressure. We consider it should suggest the validity of reducing operating pressure in IECF devices.