Generation of a High-Yield Fast Neutron Flux on the Accelerator Based Neutron Source VITA

Radiation testing of perspective materials by fast neutron flux is an important task for large physical facilities such as the Large Hadron Collider or the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor. Such a source of fast neutrons is the accelerator based neutron source VITA, proposed, developed and actively used at the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics. VITA consists of an original vacuum-insulated tandem accelerator for generating a powerful dc proton/deuteron beam with an energy up to 2.3 MeV and a current up to 10 mA, a solid lithium target for neutron flux generation in the exothermic (non-threshold) reaction ${ }^{7} \mathbf{L i}(\mathbf{d, n})$ up to $2 \cdot 10^{12} \mathrm{~s}^{-1}$ and a concentrator to focus the neutron flux in the direction of beam propagation. The paper describes the accelerator based neutron source VITA, its limitations and specifics related to the generation of a powerful fast neutron flux, the result of a long lasting experiment with fast neutron generation, further plans to increase the energy and current of the deuteron beam, to develop a compact fast neutron generator, and to increase the total fast neutron yield to $2 \cdot 10^{13} \mathrm{~s}^{-1}$