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Description
Artificial neutron sources are used in many research and industrial fields, and among them, Inertial Electrostatic Confinement (IEC) fusion devices are well known for their small size, flexible operation, and wide range of applications. These devices can produce neutrons in both continuous and pulsed modes, which makes them suitable for future space power systems, making medical isotopes, detecting landmines, treating cancer with boron neutron capture therapy, and creating plasma jets for spacecraft. In this work, a high-voltage Pulsed Power Driver (PPD) was developed at the Centre of Plasma Physics–Institute for Plasma Research (CPP-IPR) to generate pulsed neutrons from a tubular IEC fusion device. The system includes a 0.04 μF, 100 kV capacitor, a spark-gap high-voltage switch, a power supply, resistors, diodes, and a trigger unit. Experimental results recorded with high voltage and current probes demonstrated a peak current of approximately 23.5 A at -35 kV input voltage and a peak power dissipation of around 800 kW, marking significant progress in operating tubular IEC fusion devices in pulsed mode.
