Absolute calibration method for laser megajoule neutron yield measurement by activation diagnostics

Journal Article · Fri Jul 15 00:00:00 EDT 2011 · Review of Scientific Instruments

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3605485· OSTI ID:22063684

Landoas, Olivier; Rosse, Bertrand; Briat, Michelle; Marmouget, Jean Gabriel; Varignon, Cyril; Ledoux, Xavier; Caillaud, Tony; Thfoin, Isabelle; Bourgade, Jean-Luc ^[1]; Glebov, Vladimir Yu; Sangster, Thomas C; Duffy, Tim ^[2]; Disdier, Laurent ^[3]

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1. CEA, DAM, DIF, F-91297 Arpajon (France)
2. Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, 250 East River Road, Rochester, New York 14623 (United States)
3. CEA, LIST, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France)

The laser megajoule (LMJ) and the National Ignition Facility (NIF) plan to demonstrate thermonuclear ignition using inertial confinement fusion (ICF). The neutron yield is one of the most important parameters to characterize ICF experiment performance. For decades, the activation diagnostic was chosen as a reference at ICF facilities and is now planned to be the first nuclear diagnostic on LMJ, measuring both 2.45 MeV and 14.1 MeV neutron yields. Challenges for the activation diagnostic development are absolute calibration, accuracy, range requirement, and harsh environment. At this time, copper and zirconium material are identified for 14.1 MeV neutron yield measurement and indium material for 2.45 MeV neutrons. A series of calibrations were performed at Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique (CEA) on a Van de Graff facility to determine activation diagnostics efficiencies and to compare them with results from calculations. The CEA copper activation diagnostic was tested on the OMEGA facility during DT implosion. Experiments showed that CEA and Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) diagnostics agree to better than 1% on the neutron yield measurement, with an independent calibration for each system. Also, experimental sensitivities are in good agreement with simulations and allow us to scale activation diagnostics for the LMJ measurement range.

• OSTI ID: 22063684
• Journal Information: Review of Scientific Instruments, Vol. 82, Issue 7; Other Information: (c) 2011 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0034-6748
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ACCURACY
CALIBRATION
CEA
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
EFFICIENCY
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
IMPLOSIONS
INDIUM
INERTIAL CONFINEMENT
LASERS
MEV RANGE
NEUTRONS
OMEGA FACILITY
PLASMA DIAGNOSTICS
SENSITIVITY
THERMONUCLEAR IGNITION
US NATIONAL IGNITION FACILITY
VAN DE GRAAFF ACCELERATORS
YIELDS
ZIRCONIUM