Order of magnitude enhancement in neutron emission with deuterium-krypton admixture operation in miniature plasma focus device

The effect of varied concentrations of deuterium-krypton (D₂ - Kr) admixture on the neutron emission of a fast miniature plasma focus device was investigated. It was found that a judicious concentration of Kr in D₂ can significantly enhance the neutron yield. The maximum average neutron yield of (1 ± 0.27) x 10⁴ n/shot for pure D₂ filling at 3 mbars was enhanced to (3.14 ± 0.4) x 10⁵ n/shot with D₂ + 2% Kr admixture operation, which represents a ˃ 30-fold increase. More than an order of magnitude enhancement in the average neutron yield was observed over the broader operating range of 1–4 mbars for D₂ + 2 % Kr and D₂ + 5% Kr admixtures.