Dense plasma focus (DPF) accelerated non radio isotopic radiological source

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9560734-B2
Application number	US-71022510-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 22, 2010
Priority date	Feb 20, 2009
Publication date	Jan 31, 2017
Grant date	Jan 31, 2017

Abstract

A non-radio-isotopic radiological source using a dense plasma focus (DPF) to produce an intense z-pinch plasma from a gas, such as helium, and which accelerates charged particles, such as generated from the gas or injected from an external source, into a target positioned along an acceleration axis and of a type known to emit ionizing radiation when impinged by the type of accelerated charged particles. In a preferred embodiment, helium gas is used to produce a DPF-accelerated He2+ ion beam to a beryllium target, to produce neutron emission having a similar energy spectrum as a radio-isotopic AmBe neutron source. Furthermore, multiple DPFs may be stacked to provide staged acceleration of charged particles for enhancing energy, tunability, and control of the source.

First claim

We claim:

1. A non-radio-isotopic radiological source comprising:
a dense plasma focus (DPF) operably connected to a gas filled medium for producing a column of compressed plasma (z-pinch) along a z-axis and an associated acceleration gradient directed along the z-axis; and
a target positioned along the z-axis so as to be impinged by charged particles accelerated by the acceleration gradient of the DPF, wherein said target is of a type which emits ionizing radiation upon impingement by the accelerated charged particle,
wherein the DPF is operably connected to a helium gas medium for producing a He 2+ ion z-pinch that is accelerated along the z-axis as a He 2+ ion beam, and
wherein said target is beryllium which emits neutrons having energy spectra similar to an Am—Be source of about 1-5 MeV upon impingement by the He 2+ ion beam.

2. The non-radio-isotopic radiological source of claim 1 ,
wherein said DPF has an axially aligned tubular anode with opposing inlet and outlet ends and a hollow passage connecting the inlet and outlet ends.

3. The non-radio-isotopic radiological source of claim 2 ,
wherein the z-pinch and the associated acceleration gradient is produced adjacent the outlet end of the DPF anode, and the target is adjacent the outlet end; and
further comprising an ion/particle beam source positioned to inject an ion/particle beam into the inlet end of the anode, through the hollow passage, and out the outlet end, so as to be further accelerated by the acceleration gradient at the outlet end before impinging the target.

4. The non-radio-isotopic radiological source of claim 2 ,
wherein the target is a high Z target, the z-pinch and the associated acceleration gradient is produced adjacent the inlet end of the DPF anode, and the target is adjacent the outlet end so that an e-beam accelerated at the inlet end is directed into the inlet end, through the hollow passage, and out the outlet end for impingement on the high Z target.

5. The non-radio-isotopic radiological source of claim 4 ,
further comprising an e-beam source positioned to inject an electron beam into the inlet end so as to be further accelerated by the acceleration gradient at the inlet end prior to entering the inlet end, through the hollow passage, and out the outlet end for impingement on the high Z target.

6. The non-radio-isotopic radiological source of claim 1 ,
wherein said DPF has an axially aligned tubular anode surrounding a hollow cavity, and the target is a high Z target forming an end of the anode adjacent the z-pinch, so that an e-beam is accelerated towards the anode to impinge the high Z target.

7. The non-radio-isotopic radiological source of claim 2 , further comprising:
at least one additional DPF coaxially stacked with the DPF along the z-axis, so as to accelerate the charged particles in multiple DPF stages as they pass through the hollow passages.

8. The non-radio-isotopic radiological source of claim 7 ,
wherein each of the multiple DPF stages has an axially aligned tubular anode with opposing inlet and outlet ends and a hollow passage connecting the inlet and outlet ends, and
further comprising a ion/particle source for injecting an ion/particle beam into a first stage of said multiple DPF stages.

9. The non-radio-isotopic radiological source of claim 7 ,
wherein a first stage of said multiple DPF stages generates the charged particles from the gas.

10. A non-radio-isotopic neutron source comprising:
a dense plasma focus (DPF) operably connected to a helium gas filled medium for producing a column of compressed He 2+ ion plasma (z-pinch) along a z-axis and an associated acceleration gradient directed along the z-axis for accelerating the He 2+ ions as an He 2+ ion beam along the z-axis; and
a beryllium target positioned along the z-axis so as to be impinged by the He 2+ ion beam, and which emits neutrons having energy spectra similar to an Am—Be source upon impingement by the He 2+ ion beam.

Assignees

• Rusnak Brian
• Tang Vincent
• L Livermore Nat Security Llc

Inventors

• Rusnak Brian
• Tang Vincent

Classifications

• H05H3/06 Primary

  Generating neutron beams (targets for producing nuclear reactions H05H6/00; neutron sources G21G4/02) · CPC title

• H05H1/06

  Longitudinal pinch devices · CPC title

• Y02E30/10

  Nuclear fusion reactors · CPC title