Numerical Analysis of Electrode Geometry Effects on Proton Generation and Acceleration in Pyroelectric Crystal Electrostatic Fields

Abstract

To support the development of a compact experimental system for the proton-boron (p-¹¹B) fusion reaction, we performed numerical simulations of proton generation and acceleration in the electrostatic field produced by a pyroelectric crystal. Electrostatic potential distributions were calculated by solving the Laplace equation for three electrode configurations: a disk electrode alone, a disk with a needle electrode, and a disk with a cylinder electrode. The proton impact rate on a boron target placed opposite the electrodes was evaluated for each configuration. It was found that the disk and needle electrodes achieved a maximum impact rate of approximately 37% at a crystal heating temperature of 5 K, while the cylinder electrode achieved a comparable impact rate at a lower temperature of 1 K. These results indicate that the cylinder electrode configuration can achieve efficient proton acceleration at reduced heating temperatures.