Jaroslaw Baranowski, Lech Jakubowski, Marek Sadowski, Jaroslaw Zebrowski
Department of Plasma Physics and Technology, The Andrzej Soltan Institute for Nuclear Studies, 05-400 Otwock/Swierk, Poland
The paper describes a new technique which has been investigated in order to overcome the neutron saturation effect and to increase the neutron yield from the plasma-focus (PF) discharges. The PF-360 experimental facility was constructed at the Andrzej Soltan Institute for Nuclear Studies (IPJ) in Swierk, Poland in the late 70s. Recently in order to improve the neutron yield from the PF-360 machine, it was proposed to use a cryogenic deuterium target, which might be placed within the plasma-focus region. For this purpose, we have been made a needle-like cryogenic target covered with a thin "heavy-ice" layer. A considerable increase in the average neutron yield (from 1.7´1010 to about 2.2´1010 neutron/shot) has been achieved for 122 kJ PF discharges when the needle target top was placed at a distance of about 100 mm from the electrode ends.