Kinetics of Deuterium Gas-Discharge Plasma in the Resonator of a Neutron Generator in Electron-Cyclotron Resonance Mode

Abstract

The results of numerical simulation of the microwave discharge kinetics in molecular deuterium in electron-cyclotron resonance mode are presented for a description of the physical processes in the resonator of a neutron generator. The calculations have been carried out in an approximation of homogeneous electric and magnetic fields, as well as the Maxwellian electron energy distribution function. In the kinetic scheme, the reactions of excitation, dissociation, ionization, and recombination of deuterium atoms and molecules, as well as elastic collisions, were taken into account. As a result, the time dependences of the number density and temperature of the plasma components at different electric and magnetic field intensities and the initial number density of molecular deuterium are obtained. The values of the fields corresponding to the minimum ionization time are determined, and the maximum ion current extracted from the microwave discharge is estimated.