Effects of Metal Hydride Coatings at the Electrodes on Neutron Production Rate in a Discharge-Type Fusion Neutron Source

A glow discharge (GD) fusion neutron source that utilizes nuclear fusion reactions of deuterium has been upgraded. The fusion reactions in this device mainly occur by collisions between the charged or neutral particles and the hydrogen isotopes trapped at the surface of electrodes. In addition, it is known that the metal hydride coating on the electrode enhances the neutron production rate (NPR). Therefore, the elemental distribution, including deuterium, in the depth direction on the electrode is an essential factor in neutron production. However, the distribution on the electrode has not been experimentally investigated. This study aims to analyze the distribution experimentally and indicate the effect of the metal hydride coatings. To achieve this purpose, we prepared the titanium (Ti)-coated cathode and the uncoated cathode, of which the base material was stainless steel. After that, the neutron production test was performed in the range of from 5- to 40-mA currents and from 20- to 60-kV applied voltage. This test indicated that the NPR was improved by coating the cathode with Ti than the uncoated cathode. In addition, depth profiling on the cathodes by glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GD-OES) was performed. While the analysis indicated that the concentration of deuterium on both cathodes was increased after the test, there was no significant difference in the concentration of deuterium between both cathodes. Furthermore, the concentration of Ti on the Ti-coated cathode was vastly decreased. The cause of these changes needs to be investigated.