Innovative energy sources and advanced applications: the Los Alamos Intense Neutron Source

摘要

The Intense Neutron Source (INS) is an inertial electrostatic confinement (IEC) fusion device presently under construction at Los Alamos National Laboratory. It is designed to produce 10/sup 11/ neutrons per second steady-state and will be used for nuclear assay applications. This device is a three grid IEC ion focus device. It is designed to handle 25 kW of power input and is actively cooled. It has a maximum capability of 75 kV with a current of 0.335 A. In this paper we describe the physics principles of operation of this device, the engineering design parameters, and the empirical scaling used to determine the design parameters. Potential applications include waste assay, landmine detection, nonproliferation, and high-explosives detection.