Backward high energy ion beams from plasma focus

High energy neutrons, more than 2.45 MeV from deuteron-deuteron fusion reaction, have been measured in backward direction of plasma focus devices in many laboratories. However the experimental evidence for high energy deuterons responsible for such neutrons has not been reported so far. In this brief communication, backward high energy deuteron beam from NX2 plasma focus [M. V. Roshan et al., Phys. Lett. A 373, 851 (2009)] is reported, which was measured with a direct and unambiguous technique of nuclear activation. The relevant nuclear reaction for the target activation is ¹²C (d, n)¹³N , which has a deuteron threshold energy of 328 keV.