Density determination of the thermonuclear fuel region in inertial confinement fusion implosions
File(s)Volegov_JAP19-AR-07009_accepted.pdf (4.28 MB)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Understanding of the thermonuclear burn in an inertial confinement fusion implosion requires knowledge of the local deuterium–tritium (DT) fuel density. Neutron imaging of the core now provides this previously unavailable information. Two types of neutron images are required. The first is an image of the primary 14-MeV neutrons produced by the D + T fusion reaction. The second is an image of the 14-MeV neutrons that leave the implosion hot spot and are downscattered to lower energy by elastic and inelastic collisions in the fuel. These neutrons are measured by gating the detector to record the 6–12 MeV neutrons. Using the reconstructed primary image as a nonuniform source, a set of linear equations is derived that describes the contribution of each voxel of the DT fuel region to a pixel in the downscattered image. Using the measured intensity of the 14-MeV neutrons and downscattered images, the set of equations is solved for the density distribution in the fuel region. The method is validated against test problems and simulations of high-yield implosions. The calculated DT density distribution from one experiment is presented.
Date Issued
2020-02-24
Date Acceptance
2020-01-01
Citation
Journal of Applied Physics, 2020, 127 (8), pp.1-10
ISSN
0021-8979
Publisher
AIP Publishing
Start Page
1
End Page
10
Journal / Book Title
Journal of Applied Physics
Volume
127
Issue
8
Copyright Statement
© 2020 AIP Publishing LLC.
Sponsor
Engineering & Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC)
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
AWE Plc
Identifier
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000519623000001&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=1ba7043ffcc86c417c072aa74d649202
Grant Number
EP/P010288/1
B618573
30469588
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Physics, Applied
Physics
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
ARTN 083301
Date Publish Online
2020-02-24