Multiphysics approach to plasma neutron source modelling at the JET tokamak

Štancar, Žiga; Gorelenkova, Marina; Conroy, Sean; Sauvan, Patrick; Buchanan, James; Weisen, Henri; Snoj, Luka

doi:10.1088/1741-4326/ab2c8b

Title: Multiphysics approach to plasma neutron source modelling at the JET tokamak

Journal Article · Tue Jul 23 00:00:00 EDT 2019 · Nuclear Fusion

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/1741-4326/ab2c8b· OSTI ID:1543456

^[1]; Gorelenkova, Marina ^[2]; Conroy, Sean ^[3];

^[4]; Buchanan, James ^[5]; Weisen, Henri ^[6]; Snoj, Luka ^[1]

Jozef Stefan Inst. (IJS), Ljubljana (Slovenia)
Princeton Plasma Physics Lab. (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)
Uppsala Univ. (Sweden)
Univ. Nacional de Educacin a Distancia, Madrid (Spain)
United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, Abingdon (United Kingdom)
Ecole Polytechnique Federale Lausanne (EPFL) (Switzlerland)

A novel multiphysics methodology for the computation of realistic plasma neutron sources has been developed. The approach is based on state-of-the-art plasma transport and neutron spectrum calculations, coupled with a Monte Carlo neutron transport code, bridging the gap between plasma physics and neutronics. In the paper two JET neutronics tokamak models are used to show the application of the developed plasma neutron sources and validate them. Diagnostic data for the record JET D discharge 92436 are used as input for the TRANSP code, modelling neutron emission in two external plasma heating scenarios, namely using only neutral beam injection and a combination of the latter and ion cyclotron resonance heating. Neutron spectra, based on plasma transport results, are computed using the DRESS code. The developed PLANET code package is employed to generate plasma neutron source descriptions and couple them with the MCNP code. The effects of using the developed sources in neutron transport calculations on the response of JET neutron diagnostic systems is studied and compared to the results obtained with a generic plasma neutron source. It is shown that, although there are significant differences in the emissivity profiles, spectra shape and anisotropy between the neutron sources, the integral response of the time-resolved ex-vessel neutron detectors is largely insensitive to source changes, with major relative deviations of up to several percent. However it is calculated that, because of the broadening of neutron spectra as a consequence of external plasma heating, larger differences may occur in activation of materials which have threshold reactions located at DD neutron peak energies. The PLANET plasma neutron source computational methodology is demonstrated to be suitable for detailed neutron source effect studies on JET during DT experiments and can be applied to ITER analyses.

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Research Organization:: Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE; EUROfusion Consortium

Contributing Organization:: JET Contributors

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-09CH11466

OSTI ID:: 1543456

Journal Information:: Nuclear Fusion, Vol. 59, Issue 9; ISSN 0029-5515

Publisher:: IOP ScienceCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Cited by: 8 works

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