Sustained neutron production from a sheared-flow stabilized Z-pinch

Abstract

The sheared-flow stabilized 𝑍 pinch has demonstrated long-lived plasmas with fusion-relevant parameters. We present the first experimental results demonstrating sustained, quasi-steady-state neutron production from the fusion 𝑍-pinch experiment, operated with a mixture of 20% deuterium/80% hydrogen by pressure. Neutron emissions lasting approximately 5  𝜇⁢s are reproducibly observed with pinch currents of approximately 200 kA during an approximately 16  𝜇⁢s period of plasma quiescence. The average neutron yield is estimated to be (1.25±0.45)×105  neutrons/pulse and scales with the square of the deuterium concentration. Coincident with the neutron signal, plasma temperatures of 1–2 keV and densities of approximately 1⁢017  cm−3 with 0.3 cm pinch radii are measured with fully integrated diagnostics.