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Production of fissioning uranium plasma to approximate gas-core reactor conditionsThe intense burst of neutrons from the d-d reaction in a plasma-focus apparatus is exploited to produce a fissioning uranium plasma. The plasma-focus apparatus consists of a pair of coaxial electrodes and is energized by a 25 kJ capacitor bank. A 15-g rod of 93% enriched U-235 is placed in the end of the center electrode where an intense electron beam impinges during the plasma-focus formation. The resulting uranium plasma is heated to about 5 eV. Fission reactions are induced in the uranium plasma by neutrons from the d-d reaction which were moderated by the polyethylene walls. The fission yield is determined by evaluating the gamma peaks of I-134, Cs-138, and other fission products, and it is found that more than 1,000,000 fissions are induced in the uranium for each focus formation, with at least 1% of these occurring in the uranium plasma.
Document ID
19740049880
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Lee, J. H.
(Vanderbilt University Nashville, Tenn., United States)
Mcfarland, D. R.
Hohl, F.
(NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, Va., United States)
Kim, K. H.
(North Carolina Central University Durham, N.C., United States)
Date Acquired
August 7, 2013
Publication Date
June 1, 1974
Publication Information
Publication: Nuclear Technology
Volume: 22
Subject Category
Nuclear Engineering
Accession Number
74A32630
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NGR-43-002-031
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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