Low Energy Fusion for a Safe and Compact Neutron Source

Neutrons are primarily produced at large international facilities using either spallation reactions or nuclear fission. There is a demand for small scale neutron production for use at hospitals and borders for a variety of applications. Isolated fission sources and sealed tube deuterium-tritium fusors are able to provide a reliable neutron flux at small scale but are impractical due to the associated radioactivity. A beam of protons or deuterons accelerated onto a thin target will undergo a fusion reaction resulting in the emission of a quasi-monochromatic neutron beam. The total flux and energy spectrum of the neutrons produced through fusion is primarily dependent on target material, target thickness, beam energy and projectile. The use of neutrons for security screening at border crossings, ports and airports has the potential to drastically improve threat detection and contents verification. Monte Carlo code MCNPX is being used to investigate the most suitable target and beam characteristics for a neutron source for security applications.