A Plasma Window–Enhanced Accelerator-Based Deuterium-Tritium Neutron Generator System

There is a known demand for a fusion prototypic neutron source capable of emulating the neutron-induced damage caused by fusion. If no such source is developed in a timely and economical manner, the use of fusion as a source of energy will be hindered by material selection and qualification. Presented here is one possible path toward the development of a fusion prototypic neutron source by enhancing an operational neutron generator platform with so-called plasma windows. The use of plasma windows addresses a weakness in the current design by improving the pressure differential between acceleration and the target regions. This improvement, combined with the use of multiple beamlines, represents the possibility of dramatically increasing the fusion neutron flux capabilities of such a system.