Average neutron time-of-flight instrument response function inferred from single D-T neutron events within a plastic scintillator

Styron, J. D.; Ruiz, C. L.; Hahn, K. D.; Cooper, G. W.; Chandler, G. A.; Jones, B.; McWatters, B. R.; Forrest, C. J.; Vaughan, J.; Torres, J.; Pelka, S.; Smith, J.; Weaver, C.

doi:10.1063/1.5038883

Average neutron time-of-flight instrument response function inferred from single D-T neutron events within a plastic scintillator

Journal Article · Tue Oct 09 04:00:00 EDT 2018 · Review of Scientific Instruments

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5038883· OSTI ID:1477868

Styron, J. D. ^[1]; Ruiz, C. L. ^[2]; Hahn, K. D. ^[2]; Cooper, G. W. ^[1]; Chandler, G. A. ^[2]; Jones, B. ^[2]; McWatters, B. R. ^[2]; Forrest, C. J. ^[3]; Vaughan, J. ^[1]; Torres, J. ^[2]; ^[1]; Smith, J. ^[2]; Weaver, C. ^[1]

Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States). Dept. of Nuclear Engineering
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Univ. of Rochester, NY (United States). Lab. for Laser Energetics

The apparent ion temperature and neutron-reaction history are important characteristics of a fusion plasma. Extracting these quantities from a measured neutron-time-of-flight signal requires accurate knowledge of the instrument response function (IRF). This paper describes a novel method for obtaining the IRF directly for single DT neutron interactions by utilizing n-alpha coincidence. The t(d,α)n nuclear reaction was produced at Sandia National Laboratories’ Ion Beam Laboratory using a 300 keV Cockcroft-Walton generator to accelerate a 2.5 μA beam of 175 keV D⁺ ions into a stationary ErT₂ target. The average neutron IRF was calculated by taking a time-corrected average of individual neutron events within an EJ-228 plastic scintillator. The scintillator was coupled to two independent photo-multiplier tubes operated in the current mode: a Hamamatsu 5946 mod-5 and a Photek PMT240. Finally, the experimental setup and results will be discussed.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)

Grant/Contract Number:: NA0003525

OSTI ID:: 1477868

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1507833
OSTI ID: 1476840

Report Number(s):: SAND2018--4843J; 662799

Journal Information:: Review of Scientific Instruments, Journal Name: Review of Scientific Instruments Journal Issue: 10 Vol. 89; ISSN 0034-6748

Publisher:: American Institute of Physics (AIP)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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