Generation of Deuterium Ions in a Vacuum Arc with Composite Gas-Saturated Cathode and in a Low-pressure Arc

Abstract

Plasma containing deuterium ions is used, for example, to generate neutron flows. Neutrons are generated in nuclear reactions of interaction of accelerated ion beams extracted from deuterium plasma with a solid-state target containing heavy hydrogen isotopes – deuterium or tritium. Deuterium plasma was produced in two types of arc discharge with cold cathode: in a vacuum arc with composite cathode saturated with deuterium and in a low-pressure arc with inlet of gaseous deuterium into the discharge gap. Results of studies of the mass-to-charge fractions of the plasma of these discharges are presented, and a comparative analysis of the methods of deuterium ion generation in such discharge systems is performed.