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We are seeking to gain a better fundamental understanding of the ion beam acceleration and neutron production dense plasma focus (DPF) device. Experiments were performed on a kilojoule level, fast rise time DPF located at LLNL. Ion beam spectra and neutron yield were measured for deuterium pinches. Visible light images of the pinch are used to determine the pinch length. In addition, an RF probe was placed just outside the cathode to measure fluctuations in Ez up to 6 GHz, which is within the range of the lower hybrid frequencies. We find these oscillations arise at a characteristic frequency near 4 GHz during the pinch. Comparisons of the neutron yield and ion beam characteristics are presented. The neutron yield is also compared to scaling laws. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accelerator driven fusion gammas and fast neutrons could provide unique radiography capabilities due to their ability to produce both high and low energy mono-energetic gammas and neutrons compared with broadband bremsstrahlung based x-ray sources. The possibility of simultaneously obtaining both gamma and neutron radiographs using one source could allow complex objects composed of a large range of low to high Z materials to be imaged. In this paper we review a 4 MV RFQ accelerator driven radiography test-bed at LLNL designed to study the physics involved in applying these dual output fusion reactions for radiography applications. First experimental neutron images from a carbon target are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To simulate the resonant interaction of fast Alfvén wave (FW) heating and Coulomb collisions on energetic ions, including finite orbit effects, a Monte-Carlo code ORBIT-RF has been coupled with a 2D full wave code TORIC4. ORBIT-RF solves Hamiltonian guiding center drift equations to follow trajectories of test ions in 2D axisymmetric numerical magnetic equilibrium under Coulomb collisions and ion cyclotron radio frequency quasi-linear heating. Monte-Carlo operators for pitch-angle scattering and drag calculate the changes of test ions in velocity and pitch angle due to Coulomb collisions. A rf-induced random walk model describing fast ion stochastic interaction with FW reproduces quasi-linear diffusion in velocity space. FW fields and its wave numbers from TORIC are passed on to ORBIT-RF to calculate perpendicular rf kicks of resonant ions valid for arbitrary cyclotron harmonics. ORBIT-RF coupled with TORIC using a single dominant toroidal and poloidal wave number has demonstrated consistency of simulations with recent DIII-D FW experimental results for interaction between injected neutral-beam ions and FW, including measured neutron enhancement and enhanced high energy tail. Comparison with C-Mod fundamental heating discharges also yielded reasonable agreement. © 2005 American Institute of Physics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]