Implementation of an enhanced, permanently installed neutron activation diagnostic hardware for NIF

Donald R. Jedlovec; Ellen R. Edwards; Jorge A. Carrera; Charles B. Yeamans

doi:10.1117/12.2190153

31 August 2015 Implementation of an enhanced, permanently installed neutron activation diagnostic hardware for NIF

Donald R. Jedlovec, Ellen R. Edwards, Jorge A. Carrera, Charles B. Yeamans

Proceedings Volume 9591, Target Diagnostics Physics and Engineering for Inertial Confinement Fusion IV; 95910H (2015) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2190153
Event: SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications, 2015, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Neutron activation diagnostics are commonly employed as baseline neutron yield and relative spatial flux measurement instruments. Much insight into implosion performance has been gained by deployment of up to 19 identical activation diagnostic samples distributed around the target chamber at unique angular locations. Their relative simplicity and traceability provide neutron facilities with a diagnostic platform that is easy to implement and verify. However, the current National Ignition Facility (NIF) implementation relies on removable activation samples, creating a 1-2 week data turn-around time and considerable labor costs. The system described here utilizes a commercially-available lanthanum bromide (cerium-doped) scintillator with an integrated MCA emulator as the counting system and a machined zirconium-702 cap as the activation medium. The device is installed within the target bay and monitored remotely. Additionally, this system allows the placement of any activation medium tailored to the specific measurement needs. We discuss the design and function of a stand-alone and permanently installed neutron activation detector unit to measure the yield and average energy of a nominal 14 MeV neutron source with a pulse length less than one nanosecond.

Citation Download Citation

Donald R. Jedlovec, Ellen R. Edwards, Jorge A. Carrera, and Charles B. Yeamans "Implementation of an enhanced, permanently installed neutron activation diagnostic hardware for NIF", Proc. SPIE 9591, Target Diagnostics Physics and Engineering for Inertial Confinement Fusion IV, 95910H (31 August 2015); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2190153

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