Low energy fusion for a safe and compact neutron source

Neutrons are primarily produced at large international
facilities using either spallation reactions or nuclear fission.
There is a demand for small scale neutron production for
use at hospitals and borders for a variety of applications.
Isolated fission sources and sealed tube deuterium-tritium
fusors are able to provide a reliable neutron flux at small
scale but are impractical due to the associated radioactivity.
A beam of protons or deuterons accelerated onto a thin target
will undergo a fusion reaction resulting in the emission
of a quasi-monochromatic neutron beam. The total flux
and energy spectrum of the neutrons produced through fusion
is primarily dependent on target material, target thickness,
beam energy and projectile. The use of neutrons for
security screening at border crossings, ports and airports
has the potential to drastically improve threat detection and
contents verification. Monte Carlo code MCNPX is being
used to investigate the most suitable target and beam characteristics
for a neutron source for security applications.