Interrelation of fusion cross-section, reaction rate, and neutron production in a D-D reaction in a plasma focus device

Abstract

This study presents analysis of D-D thermonuclear fusion processes occurring in a plasma focus device by examining the interrelation between fusion cross-section, reaction rate, nuclear reaction time and neutron production. The goal of the study is to clarify the mechanisms of neutron production from the viewpoint of nuclear reaction kinetics governed by Coulomb barrier penetration and quantum tunneling effects. The fusion cross-section and reaction rate were calculated for deuteron energies in the range of 1-200 keV and compared with nuclear data libraries EXFOR and ENDF. The neutron particles which produced as a result of the D-D fusion reaction were registered using a silver activation foil detector. The corresponding effective deuterium ion energy region of 25-100 keV for D-D fusion reaction, cross-section 10^-3-10^-2 barn and nuclear reaction time 20-80 ns were found. It is consistent with experimentally observed neutron pulse durations producing during the pinch phase. In this case, the rate of nuclear fusion reactions in deuterium increases by approximately an order of magnitude compared to Maxwellian plasma, while the requirements for the magnetic confinement parameters of such plasma are significantly reduced.