Diagnosing inertial confinement fusion gamma ray physics (invited)

Journal Article · Fri Oct 15 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · Review of Scientific Instruments

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3495770· OSTI ID:22058656

Herrmann, H W; Hoffman, N; Wilson, D C; Kim, Y H; McEvoy, A; Young, C S; Mack, J M ^[1]; Stoeffl, W; Dauffy, L ^[2]; Horsfield, C J; Rubery, M ^[3]; Miller, E K ^[4]; Ali, Z A ^[5]

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1. Los Alamos National Laboratory, P.O. Box 1663, M/S E526, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)
2. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550 (United States)
3. Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston, Reading RG7 4PR (United Kingdom)
4. Special Technologies Laboratory, NSTec, Santa Barbara, California 93111 (United States)
5. Livermore Operations, NSTec, Livermore, California 94550 (United States)

The gamma reaction history (GRH) diagnostic is a multichannel, time-resolved, energy-thresholded {gamma}-ray spectrometer that provides a high-bandwidth, direct-measurement of fusion reaction history in inertial confinement fusion implosion experiments. 16.75 MeV deuterium+tritium (DT) fusion {gamma}-rays, with a branching ratio of the order of 10{sup -5}{gamma}/(14 MeV n), are detected to determine fundamental burn parameters, such as nuclear bang time and burn width, critical to achieving ignition at the National Ignition Facility. During the tritium/hydrogen/deuterium ignition tuning campaign, an additional {gamma}-ray line at 19.8 MeV, produced by hydrogen+tritium fusion with a branching ratio of unity, will increase the available {gamma}-ray signal and may allow measurement of reacting fuel composition or ion temperature. Ablator areal density measurements with the GRH are also made possible by detection of 4.43 MeV {gamma}-rays produced by inelastic scatter of DT fusion neutrons on {sup 12}C nuclei in the ablating plastic capsule material.

• OSTI ID: 22058656
• Journal Information: Review of Scientific Instruments, Journal Name: Review of Scientific Instruments Journal Issue: 10 Vol. 81; ISSN 0034-6748; ISSN RSINAK
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
BRANCHING RATIO
CAPSULES
CARBON 12
DEUTERIUM
GAMMA DETECTION
GAMMA RADIATION
GAMMA SPECTROMETERS
HYDROGEN
IMPLOSIONS
INERTIAL CONFINEMENT
ION TEMPERATURE
MEV RANGE 10-100
NEUTRONS
PHOTONUCLEAR REACTIONS
THERMONUCLEAR FUELS
THRESHOLD ENERGY
TIME RESOLUTION
TRITIUM
US NATIONAL IGNITION FACILITY