Neutron emission generated in the collision of plasma flows in the presence of an external magnetic field

Abstract

Results are presented from experimental studies of the neutron emission generated in the collision of deuterium plasma flows produced in discharges in crossed E × H fields and propagating in opposite directions in a neutral gas across an external magnetic field. It is shown that the interaction of oppositely propagating deuterium plasma flows gives rise to the generation of soft X-ray emission and neutron emission from the dd reaction (dd → 3He + n) and is accompanied by an almost complete depolarization of the flows and rapid variations in the magnetic field (at a rate of ∼1011 G/s). The measurements were performed at energies and velocities of the flows of up to 600 J and 3.5 × 107 cm/s, respectively. The plasma density in each flow was ∼1015 cm−3. The upper estimates for the astrophysical S factor and the effective cross sections of the dd reaction obtained from our measurements are compared to theoretical calculations and to the results of experiments performed in the MIG high-current accelerator (Institute of High-Current Electronics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk).