μCF based 14 MeV intense neutron source

Abstract

Results of a design study for an advanced scheme of a μCF based 14 MeV intense neutron source for test material irradiation including the liquid lithium primary target and a low temperature liquid deuterium-tritium (D–T) mixture as a secondary target are presented. According to this scheme negative pions are produced inside a 150-cm-long 0.75-cm-radius lithium target. Pions and muons resulting from the pion decay in flight are collected in the backward direction and stopped in the D–T mixture. The fusion chamber has the shape of a 10-cm-radius sphere surrounded by two 0.03-cm-thickness titanium shells. Assuming 100 fusions per muon in this scheme one can produce 14-MeV neutrons with a source strength up to 10¹⁷ n/s. A neutron flux of up to 10¹⁴ n/cm²/s can be achieved in a test volume of about 2.5 l and on the surface of about 350 cm². The results of the thermophysical and thermomechanical analysis show that the technological limits are not exceeded. This source has the advantage of producing the original 14 MeV fusion spectrum without tails, isotropically into a 4π solid angle, contrary to the d-Li stripping neutron source.