Proton recoil detector of fusion neutrons using natural diamond
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)
Diamond, with its high radiation damage resistance, is an attractive alternative to silicon for neutron measurements in next step fusion experiments. A 200-{mu}m-thick type IIa natural diamond with Ti/Au contacts was tested at the LAMPF-WNR facility by time-of-flight neutron energy identification. The crystal, having a carrier lifetime of up to 1 ns, was arranged in a low-energy-resolution, high-sensitivity proton recoil telescope consisting of a polyethylene radiator and a low-energy-proton Teflon filter. This arrangement is similar to the triton burnup monitor of Croft {ital et al.} [Rev. Sci. Instrum. {bold 64}, 1418 (1993)], where a silicon photodiode was used as a recoil proton detector. The observed sensitivity for 14 MeV neutrons (DT) is (1.25{plus_minus}0.15){times}10{sup {minus}3} counts/neutron. However, a high contribution of neutron-induced events in the diamond, mainly carbon (A=12) recoils, was observed. A one-dimensional calculation for the detector response to carbon recoil and proton deposition is compared to the measurements. Poor energy resolution of the diamond detector precludes pulse height discrimination between direct 2.5 MeV neutrons events and proton events corresponding to 14 MeV neutrons. Therefore, an overall DT/DD neutron sensitivity ratio of only {approximately}6.5 is achieved. This value is much lower than the ratio of 540 reported by Croft {ital et al.} in their silicon (A=28) monitor.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- OSTI ID:
- 451820
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-960543-; ISSN 0034-6748; TRN: 97:006190
- Journal Information:
- Review of Scientific Instruments, Vol. 68, Issue 1; Conference: 11. annual high-temperature plasma diagnostics conference, Monterey, CA (United States), 12-16 May 1996; Other Information: PBD: Jan 1997
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS
PROTON RECOIL DETECTORS
NEUTRON DETECTION
SEMICONDUCTOR DETECTORS
NEUTRON SPECTROMETERS
PLASMA DIAGNOSTICS
DIAMONDS
DEUTERON REACTIONS
TRITON REACTIONS
NEUTRON EMISSION
ENERGY RESOLUTION
SENSITIVITY
MEV RANGE
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
fusion reactor ignition
diamond
time of flight spectrometers