Neutron Camera with Centimeter Scale Spatial Resolution

In the initial prototype of the compact fusion device called the Orbitron, deuterium ions orbit around a 100kV cathode with a co-rotating electron plasma confined by a magnetic field. Intersecting elliptical orbits of the ions near the cathode lead to high-energy ion-ion collisions and fusion events. However, neutrons are also generated on the surface of the cathode as the ion orbits decay and collide with deuterium embedded in the cathode surface. To distinguish these fusion events, we have designed a fifteen-pixel neutron camera. Each pixel consists of a pulse-shape discriminating (PSD) scintillator and PMT. Neutrons are collimated with high-density polyethylene. Neutron-producing experiments have been carried out on the Orbitron. These experiments, supported by particle-in-cell and Monte Carlo N-Particle simulations, show spatial resolution on the order of one centimeter. This poster will share our current neutron camera results and provide a detailed discussion of the initial neutron distribution within the Orbitron, as inferred through Geant4 library-based Monte Carlo simulations.