Implementation of scattering pinhole diagnostic for detection of fusion products on CR-39 at high particle fluence

Many Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) experiments use solid-state nuclear track detector CR-39 as a means to detect different types of nuclear products. Until recently, it was difficult to use CR-39 in experiments with very high yields because particle tracks would overlap. A scattering pinhole has been implemented in order to reduce the fluence on the CR-39. This paper details the design and implementation of a scattering pinhole to detect protons born from D3He nuclear reactions: D +3 He = p+(14.7MeV) + [alpha](3.7MeV). To do so, basic models relating the scattering angle to material thickness and atomic number were developed. The scattering pinhole reduced the fluence on the CR-39 enough to successfully count all the tracks and calculate a product yield. A proton yield of 2.25e10 t 0.17e10 was calculated and falls within half a standard deviation of the proton yield found with the Wedge Range Filter (WRF) spectrometer, the value being 2.19e10. The image on the CR-39 was predicted to be s = 0.957mm t 0.092mm. This correlates with measured size [sigma] = 0.873mm, supporting the validity of the models. To further explore the nuclear this nuclear reaction, the design challenges for detecting 3.7MeV alpha particles was also explored.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2014

Author dc:creator

• Orozco, David, S.B. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Richard Petrasso.

• Physics.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/92697

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/92697