High-energy deuteron beam generated by a plasma focus device

We measured the energy spectrum and the angular distribution of high-energy deuterons, produced by a plasma focus device both in low- and high-pressure regimes, and obtained 5×1014 fast deuterons (0.3–3 MeV) and their beam current of 8 kA at the low pressure (1.5 Torr). Ion pinhole images confirmed a plasma diode, formed just above the anode surface, accelerating the deuterons to high energies. A beam-target model shows that not the fast deuterons (>330 keV) but the slow deuterons (≲74 keV) contribute to the total neutron yield.