Abstract
A high flux neutron source based on a vacuum-insulated tandem accelerator (VITA) and a lithium target has been proposed and developed at the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics in Novosibirsk, Russia. We describe VITA which provides a dc proton/deuteron beam with an energy within a range of 0.6-2.3 MeV with a current from 1 nA to 10 mA. VITA is also capable of producing alpha-particles through the Li-7(p,a)a and B-11(p,alpha)alpha alpha reactions, 478 keV photons through the Li-7(p,p' gamma)Li-7 reaction and positrons through the F-19(p,e(+) e(-))O-16 reaction. We present several applications of this source: boron neutron capture therapy, nuclear cross sections determination, lithium target study, radiation blistering of metals during proton implantation and the radiation testing of promising materials.