Production of 13N by 12C(d,n)13N reaction in a medium energy plasma focus

Abstract

This paper explores the production of 13N by bombardment of a carbon target by high energy deuterons in a medium energy plasma focus. A set of experiments in the energy range of 2.7-3.1kJ and initial pressure of 200-700Pa, with three or five shots in each experiment, was performed. A HPGe detector was used for gamma spectroscopy, and 511keV photons emitted by positron annihilation were utilized to measure the 13N radioactivity. The highest activity of 13N in these experiments was 14Bq which was acquired after five shots at a pressure of 450Pa and a 3.1kJ stored energy. Calculations based on thick target yield showed that at least 1.9×109 deuterons with energies higher than 330keV were ejected from the pinch region. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.