Inventors:
Vincent Tang - Dublin CA, US
Glenn A. Meyer - Danville CA, US
Steven Falabella - Livermore CA, US
Gary Guethlein - Livermore CA, US
Brian Rusnak - Livermore CA, US
Stephen Sampayan - Manteca CA, US
Christopher M. Spadaccini - Oakland CA, US
Li-Fang Wang - Livermore CA, US
John Harris - Monterey CA, US
Jeff Morse - Westhampton MA, US
International Classification:
H05H 3/06, H05H 3/00, H05H 15/00
Abstract:
According to one embodiment, an apparatus includes a pyroelectric crystal, a deuterated or tritiated target, an ion source, and a common support coupled to the pyroelectric crystal, the deuterated or tritiated target, and the ion source. In another embodiment, a method includes producing a voltage of negative polarity on a surface of a deuterated or tritiated target in response to a temperature change of a pyroelectric crystal, pulsing a deuterium ion source to produce a deuterium ion beam, accelerating the deuterium ion beam to the deuterated or tritiated target to produce a neutron beam, and directing the ion beam onto the deuterated or tritiated target to make neutrons using a voltage of the pyroelectric crystal and/or an HGI surrounding the pyroelectric crystal. The directionality of the neutron beam is controlled by changing the accelerating voltage of the system. Other apparatuses and methods are presented as well.