Fusion neutron source blanket: requirements for calculation accuracy and benchmark experiment precision

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhirkin, A. V.; Alekseev, P. N.; Batyaev, V. F.; Gurevich, M. I.; Dudnikov, A. A.; Kuteev, B. V.; Pavlov, K. V.; Titarenko, Yu. E.; Titarenko, A. Yu.

2017-06-01

In this report the calculation accuracy requirements of the main parameters of the fusion neutron source, and the thermonuclear blankets with a DT fusion power of more than 10 MW, are formulated. To conduct the benchmark experiments the technical documentation and calculation models were developed for two blanket micro-models: the molten salt and the heavy water solid-state blankets. The calculations of the neutron spectra, and 37 dosimetric reaction rates that are widely used for the registration of thermal, resonance and threshold (0.25-13.45 MeV) neutrons, were performed for each blanket micro-model. The MCNP code and the neutron data library ENDF/B-VII were used for the calculations. All the calculations were performed for two kinds of neutron source: source I is the fusion source, source II is the source of neutrons generated by the 7Li target irradiated by protons with energy 24.6 MeV. The spectral indexes ratios were calculated to describe the spectrum variations from different neutron sources. The obtained results demonstrate the advantage of using the fusion neutron source in future experiments.

The first IEC fusion industrial neutron generator and developments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sved, John

1999-06-01

Inertial Electrostatic Confinement fusion grade plasma containment has been sporadically researched since the early 1960's. In the 1990's the work of G. H. Miley and his team at the University of Illinios, Fusion Studies Laboratory, Champaign-Urbana has stimulated a collaboration with industry. The development and test program for the first industrial IEC neutron generator has progressed to the point where an endurance test is under way to demonstrate at least 10,000 hours of operational life of the sealed chamber device without servicing. The market entry goals of steady 107 D-D n/s CW output with an air-cooled system have been achieved. DASA has invested in the development of the industrial product and the continuing basic research at the UI-FSL. The complete DASA FusionStar IEC-PS1 point source neutron generator set is described with emphasis on the interfaces to user NAA systems. The next product developments are pulsed neutron operations and higher fusion reaction rates of up to 1010 by means of affordable add-ons to the basic IEC-PS system. The production engineering experience gained will next be applied to a more challenging line source variant of the IEC. Beyond neutron and proton sources, several other IEC applications are being developed.

Measurements of fusion neutron yields by neutron activation technique: Uncertainty due to the uncertainty on activation cross-sections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stankunas, Gediminas; Batistoni, Paola; Sjöstrand, Henrik; Conroy, Sean; JET Contributors

2015-07-01

The neutron activation technique is routinely used in fusion experiments to measure the neutron yields. This paper investigates the uncertainty on these measurements as due to the uncertainties on dosimetry and activation reactions. For this purpose, activation cross-sections were taken from the International Reactor Dosimetry and Fusion File (IRDFF-v1.05) in 640 groups ENDF-6 format for several reactions of interest for both 2.5 and 14 MeV neutrons. Activation coefficients (reaction rates) have been calculated using the neutron flux spectra at JET vacuum vessel, both for DD and DT plasmas, calculated by MCNP in the required 640-energy group format. The related uncertainties for the JET neutron spectra are evaluated as well using the covariance data available in the library. These uncertainties are in general small, but not negligible when high accuracy is required in the determination of the fusion neutron yields.

Aperture tolerances for neutron-imaging systems in inertial confinement fusion.

PubMed

Ghilea, M C; Sangster, T C; Meyerhofer, D D; Lerche, R A; Disdier, L

2008-02-01

Neutron-imaging systems are being considered as an ignition diagnostic for the National Ignition Facility (NIF) [Hogan et al., Nucl. Fusion 41, 567 (2001)]. Given the importance of these systems, a neutron-imaging design tool is being used to quantify the effects of aperture fabrication and alignment tolerances on reconstructed neutron images for inertial confinement fusion. The simulations indicate that alignment tolerances of more than 1 mrad would introduce measurable features in a reconstructed image for both pinholes and penumbral aperture systems. These simulations further show that penumbral apertures are several times less sensitive to fabrication errors than pinhole apertures.

Fission and activation of uranium by fusion-plasma neutrons

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, J. H.; Hohl, F.; Mcfarland, D. R.

1978-01-01

Fusion-fission hybrid reactors are discussed in terms of two main purposes: to breed fissile materials (Pu 233 and Th 233 from U 238 or Th 232) for use in low-reactivity breeders, and to produce tritium from lithium to refuel fusion plasma cores. Neutron flux generation is critical for both processes. Various methods for generating the flux are described, with attention to new geometries for multiple plasma focus arrays, e.g., hypocycloidal pinch and staged plasma focus devices. These methods are evaluated with reference to their applicability to D-D fusion reactors, which will ensure a virtually unlimited energy supply. Accurate observations of the neutron flux from such schemes are obtained by using different target materials in the plasma focus.

Thermonuclear plasma with autocatalytic thermomagnetic current amplification by nuclear reactions from fusion neutrons

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Winterberg, F.

2006-03-15

It is proposed to use the neutrons released from a deuterium-tritium or deuterium-deuterium fusion reaction to drive thermomagnetic currents in a plasma corona surrounding the fusion plasma through the heating of the corona with nuclear reactions by the neutrons released in the fusion reaction. Because the neutron reaction cross sections are larger for slow neutrons, it is proposed to slow them down in a moderator separated from the hot plasma of the corona, giving the configuration a striking similarity to a heterogeneous nuclear fission reactor. While in a fission reactor the separation makes possible a growing neutron chain reaction, itmore » here makes possible the autocatalytic amplification of the thermomagnetic currents by an increase of the fusion reaction rate through a rise of the plasma pressure by the magnetic pressure of the thermomagnetic currents. This is expected to substantially increase the n{tau} product over its Lawson value.« less

Fusion-neutron measurements for magnetized liner inertial fusion experiments on the Z accelerator

DOE PAGES

Hahn, K. D.; Chandler, G. A.; Ruiz, C. L.; ...

2016-05-26

Several magnetized liner inertial fusion (MagLIF) experiments have been conducted on the Z accelerator at Sandia National Laboratories since late 2013. Measurements of the primary DD (2.45 MeV) neutrons for these experiments suggest that the neutron production is thermonuclear. Primary DD yields up to 3e12 with ion temperatures ~2-3 keV have been achieved. Measurements of the secondary DT (14 MeV) neutrons indicate that the fuel is significantly magnetized. Measurements of down-scattered neutrons from the beryllium liner suggest ρR liner ~ 1g/cm 2. Neutron bang times, estimated from neutron time-of-flight (nTOF) measurements, coincide with peak x-ray production. Furthermore, plans to improvemore » and expand the Z neutron diagnostic suite include neutron burn-history diagnostics, increased sensitivity and higher precision nTOF detectors, and neutron recoil-based yield and spectral measurements.« less

Fusion-neutron measurements for magnetized liner inertial fusion experiments on the Z accelerator

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hahn, K. D.; Chandler, G. A.; Ruiz, C. L.

Several magnetized liner inertial fusion (MagLIF) experiments have been conducted on the Z accelerator at Sandia National Laboratories since late 2013. Measurements of the primary DD (2.45 MeV) neutrons for these experiments suggest that the neutron production is thermonuclear. Primary DD yields up to 3e12 with ion temperatures ~2-3 keV have been achieved. Measurements of the secondary DT (14 MeV) neutrons indicate that the fuel is significantly magnetized. Measurements of down-scattered neutrons from the beryllium liner suggest ρR liner ~ 1g/cm 2. Neutron bang times, estimated from neutron time-of-flight (nTOF) measurements, coincide with peak x-ray production. Furthermore, plans to improvemore » and expand the Z neutron diagnostic suite include neutron burn-history diagnostics, increased sensitivity and higher precision nTOF detectors, and neutron recoil-based yield and spectral measurements.« less

Neutron diffraction studies of viral fusion peptides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bradshaw, Jeremy P.; J. M. Darkes, Malcolm; Katsaras, John; Epand, Richard M.

2000-03-01

Membrane fusion plays a vital role in a large and diverse number of essential biological processes. Despite this fact, the precise molecular events that occur during fusion are still not known. We are currently engaged on a study of membrane fusion as mediated by viral fusion peptides. These peptides are the N-terminal regions of certain viral envelope proteins that mediate the process of fusion between the viral envelope and the membranes of the host cell during the infection process. As part of this study, we have carried out neutron diffraction measurements at the ILL, BeNSC and Chalk River, on a range of viral fusion peptides. The peptides, from simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), influenza A and feline leukaemia virus (FeLV), were incorporated into stacked phospholipid bilayers. Some of the peptides had been specifically deuterated at key amino acids. Lamellar diffraction data were collected and analysed to yield information on the peptide conformation, location and orientation relative to the bilayer.

Application of Advanced Nuclear Emulsion Technique to Fusion Neutron Diagnostics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakayama, Y.; Tomita, H.; Morishima, K.; Yamashita, F.; Hayashi, S.; Cheon, MunSeong; Isobe, M.; Ogawa, K.; Naka, T.; Nakano, T.; Nakamura, M.; Kawarabayashi, J.; Iguchi, T.; Ochiai, K.

In order to measure the 2.5 MeV neutrons produced by DD nuclear fusion reactions, we have developed a compact neutron detector based on nuclear emulsion. After optimization of development conditions, we evaluated the response of the detector to an accelerator-based DD neutron source. The absolute efficiency at an energy of 2.5 MeV was estimated to be (4.1±0.2)×10-6 tracks/neutron.

Fusion neutron irradiation of Ni-Si alloys at high temperature*1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, J. S.; Guinan, M. W.; Hahn, P. A.

1988-07-01

Two Ni-4% Si alloys, with different cold work levels, have been irradiated with 14-MeV fusion neutrons at 623 K, and their Curie temperatures have been monitored during irradiation. The results are compared to those of an identical alloy irradiated by 2-MeV electrons. The results show that increasing dislocation density increases the Curie temperature change rate. At the same damage rate, the Curie temperature change rate for the alloy irradiated by 14-MeV fusion neutrons is only 6-7% of that for an identical alloy irradiated by 2-MeV electrons. It is well known that the migration of radiation induced defects contributes to segregation of silicon atoms at sinks in this alloy, causing the Curie temperature changes. The current results imply that the relative free defect production efficiency decreases from one for the electron irradiated sample to 6-7% for the fusion neutron irradiated sample.

Advanced Scintillator Detectors for Neutron Imaging in Inertial Confinement Fusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geppert-Kleinrath, Verena; Danly, Christopher; Merrill, Frank; Simpson, Raspberry; Volegov, Petr; Wilde, Carl

2016-10-01

The neutron imaging team at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) has been providing two-dimensional neutron imaging of the inertial confinement fusion process at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) for over five years. Neutron imaging is a powerful tool in which position-sensitive detectors register neutrons emitted in the fusion reactions, producing a picture of the burning fuel. Recent images have revealed possible multi-dimensional asymmetries, calling for additional views to facilitate three-dimensional imaging. These will be along shorter lines of sight to stay within the existing facility at NIF. In order to field imaging capabilities equivalent to the existing system several technological challenges have to be met: high spatial resolution, high light output, and fast scintillator response to capture lower-energy neutrons, which have scattered from non-burning regions of fuel. Deuterated scintillators are a promising candidate to achieve the timing and resolution required; a systematic study of deuterated and non-deuterated polystyrene and liquid samples is currently ongoing. A test stand has been implemented to measure the response function, and preliminary data on resolution and light output have been obtained at the LANL Weapons Neutrons Research facility.

Formation of Neutron-Enriched Heavy and Superheavy Nuclei in Fusion Reactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karpov, A. V.; Rachkov, V. A.; Saiko, V. V.

2018-05-01

The formation of new isotopes of heavy and superheavy elements in the fusion of neutron-enriched projectiles with actinide targets is discussed. Cross sections for the formation of evaporation residues in fusion reactions is predicted for several combinations of colliding nuclei.

OVERVIEW OF NEUTRON MEASUREMENTS IN JET FUSION DEVICE.

PubMed

Batistoni, P; Villari, R; Obryk, B; Packer, L W; Stamatelatos, I E; Popovichev, S; Colangeli, A; Colling, B; Fonnesu, N; Loreti, S; Klix, A; Klosowski, M; Malik, K; Naish, J; Pillon, M; Vasilopoulou, T; De Felice, P; Pimpinella, M; Quintieri, L

2017-10-05

The design and operation of ITER experimental fusion reactor requires the development of neutron measurement techniques and numerical tools to derive the fusion power and the radiation field in the device and in the surrounding areas. Nuclear analyses provide essential input to the conceptual design, optimisation, engineering and safety case in ITER and power plant studies. The required radiation transport calculations are extremely challenging because of the large physical extent of the reactor plant, the complexity of the geometry, and the combination of deep penetration and streaming paths. This article reports the experimental activities which are carried-out at JET to validate the neutronics measurements methods and numerical tools used in ITER and power plant design. A new deuterium-tritium campaign is proposed in 2019 at JET: the unique 14 MeV neutron yields produced will be exploited as much as possible to validate measurement techniques, codes, procedures and data currently used in ITER design thus reducing the related uncertainties and the associated risks in the machine operation. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Radiation effect of neutrons produced by D-D side reactions on a D-3He fusion reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bahmani, J.

2017-04-01

One of the most important characteristics in D-3He fusion reactors is neutron production via D-D side reactions. The neutrons can activate structural material, degrading them and ultimately converting them into high-level radioactive waste, while it is really costly and difficult to remove them. The neutrons from a fusion reactor could also be used to make weapons-grade nuclear material, rendering such types of fusion reactors a serious proliferation hazard. A related problem is the presence of radioactive elements such as tritium in D-3He plasma, either as fuel for or as products of the nuclear reactions; substantial quantities of radioactive elements would not only pose a general health risk, but tritium in particular would also be another proliferation hazard. The problems of neutron radiation and radioactive element production are especially interconnected because both would result from the D-D side reaction. Therefore, the presentation approach for reducing neutrons via D-D nuclear side reactions in a D-3He fusion reactor is very important. For doing this research, energy losses and neutron power fraction in D-3He fusion reactors are investigated. Calculations show neutrons produced by the D-D nuclear side reaction could be reduced by changing to a more 3He-rich fuel mixture, but then the bremsstrahlung power loss fraction would increase in the D-3He fusion reactor.

Fusion-neutron-yield, activation measurements at the Z accelerator: design, analysis, and sensitivity.

PubMed

Hahn, K D; Cooper, G W; Ruiz, C L; Fehl, D L; Chandler, G A; Knapp, P F; Leeper, R J; Nelson, A J; Smelser, R M; Torres, J A

2014-04-01

We present a general methodology to determine the diagnostic sensitivity that is directly applicable to neutron-activation diagnostics fielded on a wide variety of neutron-producing experiments, which include inertial-confinement fusion (ICF), dense plasma focus, and ion beam-driven concepts. This approach includes a combination of several effects: (1) non-isotropic neutron emission; (2) the 1/r(2) decrease in neutron fluence in the activation material; (3) the spatially distributed neutron scattering, attenuation, and energy losses due to the fielding environment and activation material itself; and (4) temporally varying neutron emission. As an example, we describe the copper-activation diagnostic used to measure secondary deuterium-tritium fusion-neutron yields on ICF experiments conducted on the pulsed-power Z Accelerator at Sandia National Laboratories. Using this methodology along with results from absolute calibrations and Monte Carlo simulations, we find that for the diagnostic configuration on Z, the diagnostic sensitivity is 0.037% ± 17% counts/neutron per cm(2) and is ∼ 40% less sensitive than it would be in an ideal geometry due to neutron attenuation, scattering, and energy-loss effects.

Impact of temperature-velocity distribution on fusion neutron peak shape

DOE PAGES

Munro, D. H.; Field, J. E.; Hatarik, R.; ...

2017-02-21

Doppler broadening of the 14 MeV DT and 2.45 MeV DD fusion neutron lines has long been our best measure of temperature in a burning plasma. At the National Ignition Facility (NIF), yields are high enough and our neutron spectrometers accurate enough that we see finer details of the peak shape. For example, we can measure the shift of the peak due to the bulk motion of the plasma, and we see indications of non-thermal broadening, skew, and kurtosis of the peak caused by the variations of temperature and fluid velocity during burn. We can also distinguish spectral differences amongmore » several lines of sight. Finally, this paper will review the theory of fusion neutron line shape, show examples of non-Gaussian line shapes and directional variations in NIF data, and describe detailed spectral shapes we see in radiation-hydrodynamics simulations of implosions.« less

Impact of temperature-velocity distribution on fusion neutron peak shape

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Munro, D. H.; Field, J. E.; Hatarik, R.; Peterson, J. L.; Hartouni, E. P.; Spears, B. K.; Kilkenny, J. D.

2017-05-01

Doppler broadening of the 14 MeV DT and 2.45 MeV DD fusion neutron lines has long been our best measure of temperature in a burning plasma. At the National Ignition Facility (NIF), yields are high enough and our neutron spectrometers accurate enough that we see finer details of the peak shape. For example, we can measure the shift of the peak due to the bulk motion of the plasma, and we see indications of non-thermal broadening, skew, and kurtosis of the peak caused by the variations of temperature and fluid velocity during burn. We can also distinguish spectral differences among several lines of sight. This paper will review the theory of fusion neutron line shape, show examples of non-Gaussian line shapes and directional variations in NIF data, and describe detailed spectral shapes we see in radiation-hydrodynamics simulations of implosions.

Fuel cycle for a fusion neutron source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ananyev, S. S.; Spitsyn, A. V.; Kuteev, B. V.

2015-12-01

The concept of a tokamak-based stationary fusion neutron source (FNS) for scientific research (neutron diffraction, etc.), tests of structural materials for future fusion reactors, nuclear waste transmutation, fission reactor fuel production, and control of subcritical nuclear systems (fusion-fission hybrid reactor) is being developed in Russia. The fuel cycle system is one of the most important systems of FNS that provides circulation and reprocessing of the deuterium-tritium fuel mixture in all fusion reactor systems: the vacuum chamber, neutral injection system, cryogenic pumps, tritium purification system, separation system, storage system, and tritium-breeding blanket. The existing technologies need to be significantly upgraded since the engineering solutions adopted in the ITER project can be only partially used in the FNS (considering the capacity factor higher than 0.3, tritium flow up to 200 m3Pa/s, and temperature of reactor elements up to 650°C). The deuterium-tritium fuel cycle of the stationary FNS is considered. The TC-FNS computer code developed for estimating the tritium distribution in the systems of FNS is described. The code calculates tritium flows and inventory in tokamak systems (vacuum chamber, cryogenic pumps, neutral injection system, fuel mixture purification system, isotope separation system, tritium storage system) and takes into account tritium loss in the fuel cycle due to thermonuclear burnup and β decay. For the two facility versions considered, FNS-ST and DEMO-FNS, the amount of fuel mixture needed for uninterrupted operation of all fuel cycle systems is 0.9 and 1.4 kg, consequently, and the tritium consumption is 0.3 and 1.8 kg per year, including 35 and 55 g/yr, respectively, due to tritium decay.

Neutron Capture Cross Section of Unstable Ni63: Implications for Stellar Nucleosynthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lederer, C.; Massimi, C.; Altstadt, S.; Andrzejewski, J.; Audouin, L.; Barbagallo, M.; Bécares, V.; Bečvář, F.; Belloni, F.; Berthoumieux, E.; Billowes, J.; Boccone, V.; Bosnar, D.; Brugger, M.; Calviani, M.; Calviño, F.; Cano-Ott, D.; Carrapiço, C.; Cerutti, F.; Chiaveri, E.; Chin, M.; Colonna, N.; Cortés, G.; Cortés-Giraldo, M. A.; Diakaki, M.; Domingo-Pardo, C.; Duran, I.; Dressler, R.; Dzysiuk, N.; Eleftheriadis, C.; Ferrari, A.; Fraval, K.; Ganesan, S.; García, A. R.; Giubrone, G.; Gómez-Hornillos, M. B.; Gonçalves, I. F.; González-Romero, E.; Griesmayer, E.; Guerrero, C.; Gunsing, F.; Gurusamy, P.; Jenkins, D. G.; Jericha, E.; Kadi, Y.; Käppeler, F.; Karadimos, D.; Kivel, N.; Koehler, P.; Kokkoris, M.; Korschinek, G.; Krtička, M.; Kroll, J.; Langer, C.; Leeb, H.; Leong, L. S.; Losito, R.; Manousos, A.; Marganiec, J.; Martínez, T.; Mastinu, P. F.; Mastromarco, M.; Meaze, M.; Mendoza, E.; Mengoni, A.; Milazzo, P. M.; Mingrone, F.; Mirea, M.; Mondelaers, W.; Paradela, C.; Pavlik, A.; Perkowski, J.; Pignatari, M.; Plompen, A.; Praena, J.; Quesada, J. M.; Rauscher, T.; Reifarth, R.; Riego, A.; Roman, F.; Rubbia, C.; Sarmento, R.; Schillebeeckx, P.; Schmidt, S.; Schumann, D.; Tagliente, G.; Tain, J. L.; Tarrío, D.; Tassan-Got, L.; Tsinganis, A.; Valenta, S.; Vannini, G.; Variale, V.; Vaz, P.; Ventura, A.; Versaci, R.; Vermeulen, M. J.; Vlachoudis, V.; Vlastou, R.; Wallner, A.; Ware, T.; Weigand, M.; Weiß, C.; Wright, T. J.; Žugec, P.

2013-01-01

The Ni63(n,γ) cross section has been measured for the first time at the neutron time-of-flight facility n_TOF at CERN from thermal neutron energies up to 200 keV. In total, capture kernels of 12 (new) resonances were determined. Maxwellian averaged cross sections were calculated for thermal energies from kT=5-100keV with uncertainties around 20%. Stellar model calculations for a 25M⊙ star show that the new data have a significant effect on the s-process production of Cu63, Ni64, and Zn64 in massive stars, allowing stronger constraints on the Cu yields from explosive nucleosynthesis in the subsequent supernova.

Stellarator Research Opportunities: A Report of the National Stellarator Coordinating Committee

DOE PAGES

Gates, David A.; Anderson, David; Anderson, S.; ...

2018-02-19

This paper is the product of a stellarator community workshop, organized by the National Stellarator Coordinating Committee and referred to as Stellcon, that was held in Cambridge, Massachusetts in February 2016, hosted by MIT. The workshop was widely advertised, and was attended by 40 scientists from 12 different institutions including national labs, universities and private industry, as well as a representative from the Department of Energy. The final section of this document describes areas of community wide consensus that were developed as a result of the discussions held at that workshop. Areas where further study would be helpful to generatemore » a consensus path forward for the US stellarator program are also discussed. The program outlined in this document is directly responsive to many of the strategic priorities of FES as articulated in “Fusion Energy Sciences: A Ten-Year Perspective (2015–2025)” [1]. The natural disruption immunity of the stellarator directly addresses “Elimination of transient events that can be deleterious to toroidal fusion plasma confinement devices” an area of critical importance for the US fusion energy sciences enterprise over the next decade. Another critical area of research “Strengthening our partnerships with international research facilities,” is being significantly advanced on the W7-X stellarator in Germany and serves as a test-bed for development of successful international collaboration on ITER. Finally, this report also outlines how materials science as it relates to plasma and fusion sciences, another critical research area, can be carried out effectively in a stellarator. Additionally, significant advances along two of the Research Directions outlined in the report; “Burning Plasma Science: Foundations—Next-generation research capabilities”, and “Burning Plasma Science: Long pulse—Sustainment of Long-Pulse Plasma Equilibria” are proposed.« less

Stellarator Research Opportunities: A Report of the National Stellarator Coordinating Committee

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gates, David A.; Anderson, David; Anderson, S.

This paper is the product of a stellarator community workshop, organized by the National Stellarator Coordinating Committee and referred to as Stellcon, that was held in Cambridge, Massachusetts in February 2016, hosted by MIT. The workshop was widely advertised, and was attended by 40 scientists from 12 different institutions including national labs, universities and private industry, as well as a representative from the Department of Energy. The final section of this document describes areas of community wide consensus that were developed as a result of the discussions held at that workshop. Areas where further study would be helpful to generatemore » a consensus path forward for the US stellarator program are also discussed. The program outlined in this document is directly responsive to many of the strategic priorities of FES as articulated in “Fusion Energy Sciences: A Ten-Year Perspective (2015–2025)” [1]. The natural disruption immunity of the stellarator directly addresses “Elimination of transient events that can be deleterious to toroidal fusion plasma confinement devices” an area of critical importance for the US fusion energy sciences enterprise over the next decade. Another critical area of research “Strengthening our partnerships with international research facilities,” is being significantly advanced on the W7-X stellarator in Germany and serves as a test-bed for development of successful international collaboration on ITER. Finally, this report also outlines how materials science as it relates to plasma and fusion sciences, another critical research area, can be carried out effectively in a stellarator. Additionally, significant advances along two of the Research Directions outlined in the report; “Burning Plasma Science: Foundations—Next-generation research capabilities”, and “Burning Plasma Science: Long pulse—Sustainment of Long-Pulse Plasma Equilibria” are proposed.« less

Stellarator Research Opportunities: A Report of the National Stellarator Coordinating Committee

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gates, D. A.; Anderson, D.; Anderson, S.; Zarnstorff, M.; Spong, D. A.; Weitzner, H.; Neilson, G. H.; Ruzic, D.; Andruczyk, D.; Harris, J. H.; Mynick, H.; Hegna, C. C.; Schmitz, O.; Talmadge, J. N.; Curreli, D.; Maurer, D.; Boozer, A. H.; Knowlton, S.; Allain, J. P.; Ennis, D.; Wurden, G.; Reiman, A.; Lore, J. D.; Landreman, M.; Freidberg, J. P.; Hudson, S. R.; Porkolab, M.; Demers, D.; Terry, J.; Edlund, E.; Lazerson, S. A.; Pablant, N.; Fonck, R.; Volpe, F.; Canik, J.; Granetz, R.; Ware, A.; Hanson, J. D.; Kumar, S.; Deng, C.; Likin, K.; Cerfon, A.; Ram, A.; Hassam, A.; Prager, S.; Paz-Soldan, C.; Pueschel, M. J.; Joseph, I.; Glasser, A. H.

2018-02-01

This document is the product of a stellarator community workshop, organized by the National Stellarator Coordinating Committee and referred to as Stellcon, that was held in Cambridge, Massachusetts in February 2016, hosted by MIT. The workshop was widely advertised, and was attended by 40 scientists from 12 different institutions including national labs, universities and private industry, as well as a representative from the Department of Energy. The final section of this document describes areas of community wide consensus that were developed as a result of the discussions held at that workshop. Areas where further study would be helpful to generate a consensus path forward for the US stellarator program are also discussed. The program outlined in this document is directly responsive to many of the strategic priorities of FES as articulated in "Fusion Energy Sciences: A Ten-Year Perspective (2015-2025)" [1]. The natural disruption immunity of the stellarator directly addresses "Elimination of transient events that can be deleterious to toroidal fusion plasma confinement devices" an area of critical importance for the US fusion energy sciences enterprise over the next decade. Another critical area of research "Strengthening our partnerships with international research facilities," is being significantly advanced on the W7-X stellarator in Germany and serves as a test-bed for development of successful international collaboration on ITER. This report also outlines how materials science as it relates to plasma and fusion sciences, another critical research area, can be carried out effectively in a stellarator. Additionally, significant advances along two of the Research Directions outlined in the report; "Burning Plasma Science: Foundations - Next-generation research capabilities", and "Burning Plasma Science: Long pulse - Sustainment of Long-Pulse Plasma Equilibria" are proposed.

Stellarator Research Opportunities: A report of the National Stellarator Coordinating Committee

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gates, David A.; Anderson, David

This document is the product of a stellarator community workshop, organized by the National Stellarator Coordinating Committee and referred to as Stellcon, that was held in Cambridge, Massachusetts in February 2016, hosted by MIT. The workshop was widely advertised, and was attended by 40 scientists from 12 different institutions including national labs, universities and private industry, as well as a representative from the Department of Energy. The final section of this document describes areas of community wide consensus that were developed as a result of the discussions held at that workshop. Areas where further study would be helpful to generatemore » a consensus path forward for the US stellarator program are also discussed. The program outlined in this document is directly responsive to many of the strategic priorities of FES as articulated in “Fusion Energy Sciences: A Ten-Year Perspective (2015-2025)” [2]. The natural disruption immunity of the stellarator directly addresses “Elimination of transient events that can be deleterious to toroidal fusion plasma confinement devices” an area of critical importance for the U.S. fusion energy sciences enterprise over the next decade. Another critical area of research “Strengthening our partnerships with international research facilities,” is being significantly advanced on the W7-X stellarator in Germany and serves as a test-bed for development of successful international collaboration on ITER. This report also outlines how materials science as it relates to plasma and fusion sciences, another critical research area, can be carried out effectively in a stellarator. Additionally, significant advances along two of the Research Directions outlined in the report; “Burning Plasma Science: Foundations - Next-generation research capabilities”, and “Burning Plasma Science: Long pulse - Sustainment of Long-Pulse Plasma Equilibria” are proposed.« less

Unique first-forbidden β-decay rates for neutron-rich nickel isotopes in stellar environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nabi, Jameel-Un; Stoica, Sabin

2014-02-01

In astrophysical environments, allowed Gamow-Teller (GT) transitions are important, particularly for β-decay rates in presupernova evolution of massive stars, since they contribute to the fine-tuning of the lepton-to-baryon content of the stellar matter prior to and during the collapse of a heavy star. In environments where GT transitions are unfavored, first-forbidden transitions become important especially in medium heavy and heavy nuclei. Particularly in case of neutron-rich nuclei, first-forbidden transitions are favored primarily due to the phase-space amplification for these transitions. In this work the total β-decay half-lives and the unique first-forbidden (U1F) β-decay rates for a number of neutron-rich nickel isotopes, 72-78Ni, are calculated using the proton-neutron quasi-particle random phase approximation (pn-QRPA) theory in stellar environment for the first time. For the calculation of the β-decay half-lives both allowed and unique first-forbidden transitions were considered. Comparison of the total half-lives is made with measurements and other theoretical calculations where it was found that the pn-QRPA results are in better agreement with experiments and at the same time are suggestive of inclusion of rank 0 and rank 1 operators in first-forbidden rates for still better results.

A GDT-based fusion neutron source for academic and industrial applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, J. K.; Forest, C. B.; Mirnov, V. V.; Peterson, E. E.; Waleffe, R.; Wallace, J.; Harvey, R. W.

2017-10-01

The design of a fusion neutron source based on the gas dynamic trap (GDT) configuration is underway. The motivation is both the ends and the means. There are immediate applications for neutrons including medical isotope production and actinide burners. Taking the next step in the magnetic mirror path will leverage advances in high-temperature superconducting magnets and additive manufacturing in confining a fusion plasma, and both the technological and physics bases exist. Recent breakthrough results at the GDT facility in Russia demonstrate stable confinement of a beta 60% mirror plasma at high Te ( 1 keV). These scale readily to a fusion neutron source with an increase in magnetic field, mirror ratio, and ion energy. Studies of a next-step compact device focus on calculations of MHD equilibrium and stability, and Fokker-Planck modeling to optimize the heating scenario. The conceptualized device uses off-the-shelf MRI magnets for a 1 T central field, REBCO superconducting mirror coils (which can currently produce fields in excess of 30T), and existing 75 keV NBI and 140 GHz ECRH. High harmonic fast wave injection is damped on beam ions, dramatically increasing the fusion reactivity for an incremental bump in input power. MHD stability is achieved with the vortex confinement scheme, where a biasing profile imposes optimal ExB rotation of the plasma. Liquid metal divertors are being considered in the end cells. Work supported by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation.

Numerical study of neutron beam divergence in a beam-fusion scenario employing laser driven ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alejo, A.; Green, A.; Ahmed, H.; Robinson, A. P. L.; Cerchez, M.; Clarke, R.; Doria, D.; Dorkings, S.; Fernandez, J.; McKenna, P.; Mirfayzi, S. R.; Naughton, K.; Neely, D.; Norreys, P.; Peth, C.; Powell, H.; Ruiz, J. A.; Swain, J.; Willi, O.; Borghesi, M.; Kar, S.

2016-09-01

The most established route to create a laser-based neutron source is by employing laser accelerated, low atomic-number ions in fusion reactions. In addition to the high reaction cross-sections at moderate energies of the projectile ions, the anisotropy in neutron emission is another important feature of beam-fusion reactions. Using a simple numerical model based on neutron generation in a pitcher-catcher scenario, anisotropy in neutron emission was studied for the deuterium-deuterium fusion reaction. Simulation results are consistent with the narrow-divergence (∼ 70 ° full width at half maximum) neutron beam recently served in an experiment employing multi-MeV deuteron beams of narrow divergence (up to 30° FWHM, depending on the ion energy) accelerated by a sub-petawatt laser pulse from thin deuterated plastic foils via the Target Normal Sheath Acceleration mechanism. By varying the input ion beam parameters, simulations show that a further improvement in the neutron beam directionality (i.e. reduction in the beam divergence) can be obtained by increasing the projectile ion beam temperature and cut-off energy, as expected from interactions employing higher power lasers at upcoming facilities.

Activation Inventories after Exposure to DD/DT Neutrons in Safety Analysis of Nuclear Fusion Installations.

PubMed

Stankunas, Gediminas; Cufar, Aljaz; Tidikas, Andrius; Batistoni, Paola

2017-11-23

Irradiations with 14 MeV fusion neutrons are planned at Joint European Torus (JET) in DT operations with the objective to validate the calculation of the activation of structural materials in functional materials expected in ITER and fusion plants. This study describes the activation and dose rate calculations performed for materials irradiated throughout the DT plasma operation during which the samples of real fusion materials are exposed to 14 MeV neutrons inside the JET vacuum vessel. Preparatory activities are in progress during the current DD operations with dosimetry foils to measure the local neutron fluence and spectrum at the sample irradiation position. The materials included those used in the manufacturing of the main in-vessel components, such as ITER-grade W, Be, CuCrZr, 316 L(N) and the functional materials used in diagnostics and heating systems. The neutron-induced activities and dose rates at shutdown were calculated by the FISPACT code, using the neutron fluxes and spectra that were provided by the preceding MCNP neutron transport calculations. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Impact of temperature-velocity distribution on fusion neutron peak shape

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Munro, David

2016-10-01

Doppler broadening of the 14 MeV DT and 2.45 MeV DD fusion neutron lines has long been our best measure of temperature in a burning plasma. At the National Ignition Facility yields are high enough and our neutron spectrometers accurate enough that we see finer details of the peak shape. For example, we can measure the shift of the peak due to bulk motion of the plasma, and we see indications of non-thermal broadening, skew, and kurtosis of the peak caused by the variations of temperature and fluid velocity during burn. We can also distinguish spectral differences among several lines of sight. This talk will review the theory of fusion neutron line shape, show examples of non-Gaussian line shapes and directional variations in NIF data, and describe detailed spectral shapes we see in radhydro implosion simulations. This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344.

Neutron Generation by Laser-Driven Spherically Convergent Plasma Fusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, G.; Yan, J.; Liu, J.; Lan, K.; Chen, Y. H.; Huo, W. Y.; Fan, Z.; Zhang, X.; Zheng, J.; Chen, Z.; Jiang, W.; Chen, L.; Tang, Q.; Yuan, Z.; Wang, F.; Jiang, S.; Ding, Y.; Zhang, W.; He, X. T.

2017-04-01

We investigate a new laser-driven spherically convergent plasma fusion scheme (SCPF) that can produce thermonuclear neutrons stably and efficiently. In the SCPF scheme, laser beams of nanosecond pulse duration and 1 014- 1 015 W /cm2 intensity uniformly irradiate the fuel layer lined inside a spherical hohlraum. The fuel layer is ablated and heated to expand inwards. Eventually, the hot fuel plasmas converge, collide, merge, and stagnate at the central region, converting most of their kinetic energy to internal energy, forming a thermonuclear fusion fireball. With the assumptions of steady ablation and adiabatic expansion, we theoretically predict the neutron yield Yn to be related to the laser energy EL, the hohlraum radius Rh, and the pulse duration τ through a scaling law of Yn∝(EL/Rh1.2τ0.2 )2.5. We have done experiments at the ShengGuangIII-prototype facility to demonstrate the principle of the SCPF scheme. Some important implications are discussed.

Research on anisotropy of fusion-produced protons and neutrons emission from high-current plasma-focus discharges.

PubMed

Malinowski, K; Skladnik-Sadowska, E; Sadowski, M J; Szydlowski, A; Czaus, K; Kwiatkowski, R; Zaloga, D; Paduch, M; Zielinska, E

2015-01-01

The paper concerns fast protons and neutrons from D-D fusion reactions in a Plasma-Focus-1000U facility. Measurements were performed with nuclear-track detectors arranged in "sandwiches" of an Al-foil and two PM-355 detectors separated by a polyethylene-plate. The Al-foil eliminated all primary deuterons, but was penetrable for fast fusion protons. The foil and first PM-355 detector were penetrable for fast neutrons, which were converted into recoil-protons in the polyethylene and recorded in the second PM-355 detector. The "sandwiches" were irradiated by discharges of comparable neutron-yields. Analyses of etched tracks and computer simulations of the fusion-products behavior in the detectors were performed.

Research on anisotropy of fusion-produced protons and neutrons emission from high-current plasma-focus discharges

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Malinowski, K., E-mail: karol.malinowski@ncbj.gov.pl; Sadowski, M. J.; Szydlowski, A.

2015-01-15

The paper concerns fast protons and neutrons from D-D fusion reactions in a Plasma-Focus-1000U facility. Measurements were performed with nuclear-track detectors arranged in “sandwiches” of an Al-foil and two PM-355 detectors separated by a polyethylene-plate. The Al-foil eliminated all primary deuterons, but was penetrable for fast fusion protons. The foil and first PM-355 detector were penetrable for fast neutrons, which were converted into recoil-protons in the polyethylene and recorded in the second PM-355 detector. The “sandwiches” were irradiated by discharges of comparable neutron-yields. Analyses of etched tracks and computer simulations of the fusion-products behavior in the detectors were performed.

Fusion materials high energy-neutron studies. A status report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Doran, D.G.; Guinan, M.W.

1980-01-01

The objectives of this paper are (1) to provide background information on the US Magnetic Fusion Reactor Materials Program, (2) to provide a framework for evaluating nuclear data needs associated with high energy neutron irradiations, and (3) to show the current status of relevant high energy neutron studies. Since the last symposium, the greatest strides in cross section development have been taken in those areas providing FMIT design data, e.g., source description, shielding, and activation. In addition, many dosimetry cross sections have been tentatively extrapolated to 40 MeV and integral testing begun. Extensive total helium measurements have been made inmore » a variety of neutron spectra. Additional calculations are needed to assist in determining energy dependent cross sections.« less

First downscattered neutron images from Inertial Confinement Fusion experiments at the National Ignition Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guler, Nevzat; Aragonez, Robert J.; Archuleta, Thomas N.; Batha, Steven H.; Clark, David D.; Clark, Deborah J.; Danly, Chris R.; Day, Robert D.; Fatherley, Valerie E.; Finch, Joshua P.; Gallegos, Robert A.; Garcia, Felix P.; Grim, Gary; Hsu, Albert H.; Jaramillo, Steven A.; Loomis, Eric N.; Mares, Danielle; Martinson, Drew D.; Merrill, Frank E.; Morgan, George L.; Munson, Carter; Murphy, Thomas J.; Oertel, John A.; Polk, Paul J.; Schmidt, Derek W.; Tregillis, Ian L.; Valdez, Adelaida C.; Volegov, Petr L.; Wang, Tai-Sen F.; Wilde, Carl H.; Wilke, Mark D.; Wilson, Douglas C.; Atkinson, Dennis P.; Bower, Dan E.; Drury, Owen B.; Dzenitis, John M.; Felker, Brian; Fittinghoff, David N.; Frank, Matthias; Liddick, Sean N.; Moran, Michael J.; Roberson, George P.; Weiss, Paul; Buckles, Robert A.; Cradick, Jerry R.; Kaufman, Morris I.; Lutz, Steve S.; Malone, Robert M.; Traille, Albert

2013-11-01

Inertial Confinement Fusion experiments at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) are designed to understand and test the basic principles of self-sustaining fusion reactions by laser driven compression of deuterium-tritium (DT) filled cryogenic plastic (CH) capsules. The experimental campaign is ongoing to tune the implosions and characterize the burning plasma conditions. Nuclear diagnostics play an important role in measuring the characteristics of these burning plasmas, providing feedback to improve the implosion dynamics. The Neutron Imaging (NI) diagnostic provides information on the distribution of the central fusion reaction region and the surrounding DT fuel by collecting images at two different energy bands for primary (13-15 MeV) and downscattered (10-12 MeV) neutrons. From these distributions, the final shape and size of the compressed capsule can be estimated and the symmetry of the compression can be inferred. The first downscattered neutron images from imploding ICF capsules are shown in this paper.

Neutron-induced reactions relevant for Inertial-Cofinement Fusion Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boswell, Melissa; Devlin, Mathew; Fotiadis, Nikolaos; Merrill, Frank; Nelson, Ronald; Tonchev, Anton

2014-09-01

The typical ignition experiment at the National Ignition Facility ablatively implodes a plastic capsule filled with DT fuel, generating a high flux of 14-MeV neutrons from the d(t,n) α reaction. There is some spread in the energy of these primary 14-MeV neutrons, which is mainly attributable to Doppler shifting from the relative thermal motion of the burning DT fuel. Neutrons created during this reaction have 5--10% chance of scattering before escaping the fuel assembly, losing some fraction of their energy in the scattering process. Neutrons emerging with an energy greater than the reaction energy are generated by a two-step process where neutrons first transfer momentum to a deuteron or tritium ion, these enhanced energy ions then fuse in flight to produce higher energy neutrons; some of these neutrons have energies in excess of 30 MeV. Measuring the fluencies of both the low- and high-energy neutrons is a powerful mechanism for studying the properties of the fuel assembly, and the various parameters important to inertial confinement fusion. We have developed a number of tools to measure the spectral characteristics of the NIF neutron spectrum. Most of these methods rely on exploiting the energy dependence of (n, γ), (n,2n), (n,3n) and (n,p) reactions on a variety o.

Laser inertial fusion-based energy: Neutronic design aspects of a hybrid fusion-fission nuclear energy system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kramer, Kevin James

This study investigates the neutronics design aspects of a hybrid fusion-fission energy system called the Laser Fusion-Fission Hybrid (LFFH). A LFFH combines current Laser Inertial Confinement fusion technology with that of advanced fission reactor technology to produce a system that eliminates many of the negative aspects of pure fusion or pure fission systems. When examining the LFFH energy mission, a significant portion of the United States and world energy production could be supplied by LFFH plants. The LFFH engine described utilizes a central fusion chamber surrounded by multiple layers of multiplying and moderating media. These layers, or blankets, include coolant plenums, a beryllium (Be) multiplier layer, a fertile fission blanket and a graphite-pebble reflector. Each layer is separated by perforated oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) ferritic steel walls. The central fusion chamber is surrounded by an ODS ferritic steel first wall. The first wall is coated with 250-500 mum of tungsten to mitigate x-ray damage. The first wall is cooled by Li17Pb83 eutectic, chosen for its neutron multiplication and good heat transfer properties. The Li17Pb 83 flows in a jacket around the first wall to an extraction plenum. The main coolant injection plenum is immediately behind the Li17Pb83, separated from the Li17Pb83 by a solid ODS wall. This main system coolant is the molten salt flibe (2LiF-BeF2), chosen for beneficial neutronics and heat transfer properties. The use of flibe enables both fusion fuel production (tritium) and neutron moderation and multiplication for the fission blanket. A Be pebble (1 cm diameter) multiplier layer surrounds the coolant injection plenum and the coolant flows radially through perforated walls across the bed. Outside the Be layer, a fission fuel layer comprised of depleted uranium contained in Tristructural-isotropic (TRISO) fuel particles having a packing fraction of 20% in 2 cm diameter fuel pebbles. The fission blanket is cooled by

Neutron Generation by Laser-Driven Spherically Convergent Plasma Fusion.

PubMed

Ren, G; Yan, J; Liu, J; Lan, K; Chen, Y H; Huo, W Y; Fan, Z; Zhang, X; Zheng, J; Chen, Z; Jiang, W; Chen, L; Tang, Q; Yuan, Z; Wang, F; Jiang, S; Ding, Y; Zhang, W; He, X T

2017-04-21

We investigate a new laser-driven spherically convergent plasma fusion scheme (SCPF) that can produce thermonuclear neutrons stably and efficiently. In the SCPF scheme, laser beams of nanosecond pulse duration and 10^{14}-10^{15}  W/cm^{2} intensity uniformly irradiate the fuel layer lined inside a spherical hohlraum. The fuel layer is ablated and heated to expand inwards. Eventually, the hot fuel plasmas converge, collide, merge, and stagnate at the central region, converting most of their kinetic energy to internal energy, forming a thermonuclear fusion fireball. With the assumptions of steady ablation and adiabatic expansion, we theoretically predict the neutron yield Y_{n} to be related to the laser energy E_{L}, the hohlraum radius R_{h}, and the pulse duration τ through a scaling law of Y_{n}∝(E_{L}/R_{h}^{1.2}τ^{0.2})^{2.5}. We have done experiments at the ShengGuangIII-prototype facility to demonstrate the principle of the SCPF scheme. Some important implications are discussed.

Nuclear science experiments with a bright neutron source from fusion reactions on the OMEGA Laser System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forrest, C. J.; Knauer, J. P.; Schroeder, W. U.; Glebov, V. Yu.; Radha, P. B.; Regan, S. P.; Sangster, T. C.; Sickles, M.; Stoeckl, C.; Szczepanski, J.

2018-04-01

Subnanosecond impulses of 1013 to 1014 neutrons, produced in direct-drive laser inertial confinement fusion implosions, have been used to irradiate deuterated targets at the OMEGA Laser System (Boehly et al., 1997). The target compounds include heavy water (D2O) and deuterated benzene (C6D6). Yields and energy spectra of neutrons from D(n,2n)p to study the breakup reaction have been measured at a forward angle of θlab = 3 .5∘ ± 3.5° with a sensitive, high-dynamic-range neutron time-of-flight spectrometer to infer the double-differential breakup cross section d2 σ/dE d Ω for 14-MeV D-T fusion neutrons.

Analysis of neutron propagation from the skyshine port of a fusion neutron source facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wakisaka, M.; Kaneko, J.; Fujita, F.; Ochiai, K.; Nishitani, T.; Yoshida, S.; Sawamura, T.

2005-12-01

The process of neutron leaking from a 14 MeV neutron source facility was analyzed by calculations and experiments. The experiments were performed at the Fusion Neutron Source (FNS) facility of the Japan Atomic Energy Institute, Tokai-mura, Japan, which has a port on the roof for skyshine experiments, and a 3He counter surrounded with a polyethylene moderator of different thicknesses was used to estimate the energy spectra and dose distributions. The 3He counter with a 3-cm-thick moderator was also used for dose measurements, and the doses evaluated by the counter counts and the calculated count-to-dose conversion factor agreed with the calculations to within ˜30%. The dose distribution was found to fit a simple analytical expression, D(r)=Q{exp(-r/λD)}/{r} and the parameters Q and λD are discussed.

DD fusion neutron production at UW-Madison using IEC devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fancher, Aaron; Michalak, Matt; Kulcinski, Gerald; Santarius, John; Bonomo, Richard

2017-10-01

An inertial electrostatic confinement (IEC) device using spherical, gridded electrodes at high voltage accelerates deuterium ions, allowing for neutrons to be produced within the device from DD fusion reactions. The effects of the device cathode voltage (30-170 kV), current (30-100 mA), and pressure (0.15-1.25 mTorr) on the neutron production rate have been measured. New high voltage capabilities have resulted in the achievement of a steady state neutron production rate of 3.3x108 n/s at 175 kV, 100 mA, and 1.0 mTorr of deuterium. Applications of IEC devices include the production of DD neutrons to detect chemical explosives and special nuclear materials using active interrogation methods. Research supported by US Dept. of Homeland Security Grant 2015-DN-077-AR1095 and the Grainger Foundation.

Compact NE213 neutron spectrometer with high energy resolution for fusion applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zimbal, A.; Reginatto, M.; Schuhmacher, H.

Neutron spectrometry is a tool for obtaining important information on the fuel ion composition, velocity distribution and temperature of fusion plasmas. A compact NE213 liquid scintillator, fully characterized at Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, was installed and operated at the Joint European Torus (JET) during two experimental campaigns (C8-2002 and trace tritium experiment-TTE 2003). The results show that this system can operate in a real fusion experiment as a neutron (1.5 MeVfusion devices (JET and the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor)« less

Probing the fusion of neutron-rich nuclei with re-accelerated radioactive beams

DOE PAGES

Vadas, J.; Singh, Varinderjit; Wiggins, B. B.; ...

2018-03-27

Here, we report the first measurement of the fusion excitation functions for 39,47K + 28Si at near-barrier energies. Evaporation residues resulting from the fusion process were identified by direct measurement of their energy and time-of-flight with high geometric efficiency. At the lowest incident energy, the cross section measured for the neutron-rich 47K-induced reaction is ≈6 times larger than that of the β-stable system. This experimental approach, both in measurement and in analysis, demonstrates how to efficiently measure fusion with low-intensity re-accelerated radioactive beams, establishing the framework for future studies.

Probing the fusion of neutron-rich nuclei with re-accelerated radioactive beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vadas, J.; Singh, Varinderjit; Wiggins, B. B.; Huston, J.; Hudan, S.; deSouza, R. T.; Lin, Z.; Horowitz, C. J.; Chbihi, A.; Ackermann, D.; Famiano, M.; Brown, K. W.

2018-03-01

We report the first measurement of the fusion excitation functions for K,4739+28Si at near-barrier energies. Evaporation residues resulting from the fusion process were identified by direct measurement of their energy and time of flight with high geometric efficiency. At the lowest incident energy, the cross section measured for the neutron-rich 47K-induced reaction is ≈6 times larger than that of the β -stable system. This experimental approach, both in measurement and in analysis, demonstrates how to efficiently measure fusion with low-intensity re-accelerated radioactive beams, establishing the framework for future studies.

Probing the fusion of neutron-rich nuclei with re-accelerated radioactive beams

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vadas, J.; Singh, Varinderjit; Wiggins, B. B.

Here, we report the first measurement of the fusion excitation functions for 39,47K + 28Si at near-barrier energies. Evaporation residues resulting from the fusion process were identified by direct measurement of their energy and time-of-flight with high geometric efficiency. At the lowest incident energy, the cross section measured for the neutron-rich 47K-induced reaction is ≈6 times larger than that of the β-stable system. This experimental approach, both in measurement and in analysis, demonstrates how to efficiently measure fusion with low-intensity re-accelerated radioactive beams, establishing the framework for future studies.

Analysis of the neutron time-of-flight spectra from inertial confinement fusion experiments

DOE PAGES

Hatarik, R.; Sayre, D. B.; Caggiano, J. A.; ...

2015-11-12

For a long time, neutron time-of-flight diagnostics been used to characterize the neutron spectrum produced by inertial confinement fusion experiments. The primary diagnostic goals are to extract the d+t→n+α (DT) and d+d→n+³He (DD) neutron yields and peak widths, and the amount DT scattering relative to its unscattered yield, which is also known as the down-scatter ratio (DSR). These quantities are used to infer yield weighted plasma conditions, such as ion temperature (T ion) and cold fuel areal density. We explain such novel methodologies used to determine neutron yield, apparent T ion and DSR.

Simultaneous usage of pinhole and penumbral apertures for imaging small scale neutron sources from inertial confinement fusion experiments.

PubMed

Guler, N; Volegov, P; Danly, C R; Grim, G P; Merrill, F E; Wilde, C H

2012-10-01

Inertial confinement fusion experiments at the National Ignition Facility are designed to understand the basic principles of creating self-sustaining fusion reactions by laser driven compression of deuterium-tritium (DT) filled cryogenic plastic capsules. The neutron imaging diagnostic provides information on the distribution of the central fusion reaction region and the surrounding DT fuel by observing neutron images in two different energy bands for primary (13-17 MeV) and down-scattered (6-12 MeV) neutrons. From this, the final shape and size of the compressed capsule can be estimated and the symmetry of the compression can be inferred. These experiments provide small sources with high yield neutron flux. An aperture design that includes an array of pinholes and penumbral apertures has provided the opportunity to image the same source with two different techniques. This allows for an evaluation of these different aperture designs and reconstruction algorithms.

Stellar neutron sources and s-process in massive stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Talwar, Rashi

The s-process or the slow neutron capture process is a nucleosynthesis process taking place at relatively low neutron densities in stars. It runs along the valley of beta stability since the neutron capture rate is much slower compared to the beta decay rate. The s-process occurs mainly during core helium burning and shell carbon burning phase in massive stars and during thermally pulsing helium burning phase in asymptotic giant-branch stars. The potential stellar neutron source for the s-process is associated with alpha-capture reactions on light nuclei. The capture-reaction rates provide the reaction flow for the build-up of22Ne neutron source during the heliumburning phase in these stars. The low energy 26Mg resonances at stellar energies below 800 keV are predicted to have a critical influence on the alpha-capture rates on 22Ne. Some of these resonances may also correspond to pronounced alpha cluster structure near the alpha-threshold. However, these resonances have remained elusive during direct alpha capture measurements owing to the high Coulomb barrier and background from cosmic rays and beam induced reactions. Hence, in the present work, alpha-inelastic scattering and alpha- transfer measurements have been performed to probe the level structure of 26Mg nucleus in order to determine the 22Ne+alpha-capture rates. Both experiments have been performed using the high-resolution Grand Raiden Spectrometer at the Research Center for Nuclear Physics (RCNP), Osaka, Japan. For the alpha-inelastic scattering measurement, a self-supporting solid 26Mg target was used and for the alpha-transfer study via the (6Li,d) reaction, 22Ne gas enclosed in a gas cell with Aramid windows was used. The reaction products were momentum analysed by the spectrometer and detected at the focal plane equipped with two multi-wire drift chambers and two plastic-scintillation detectors. The focal plane detection system provided information on the position, the angle, the time of flight and

A D-D/D-T fusion reaction based neutron generator system for liver tumor BNCT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Koivunoro, H.; Lou, T.P.; Leung, K. N.

2003-04-02

Boron-neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is an experimental radiation treatment modality used for highly malignant tumor treatments. Prior to irradiation with low energetic neutrons, a 10B compound is located selectively in the tumor cells. The effect of the treatment is based on the high LET radiation released in the {sup 10}B(n,{alpha}){sup 7}Li reaction with thermal neutrons. BNCT has been used experimentally for brain tumor and melanoma treatments. Lately applications of other severe tumor type treatments have been introduced. Results have shown that liver tumors can also be treated by BNCT. At Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, various compact neutron generators based onmore » D-D or D-T fusion reactions are being developed. The earlier theoretical studies of the D-D or D-T fusion reaction based neutron generators have shown that the optimal moderator and reflector configuration for brain tumor BNCT can be created. In this work, the applicability of 2.5 MeV neutrons for liver tumor BNCT application was studied. The optimal neutron energy for external liver treatments is not known. Neutron beams of different energies (1eV < E < 100 keV) were simulated and the dose distribution in the liver was calculated with the MCNP simulation code. In order to obtain the optimal neutron energy spectrum with the D-D neutrons, various moderator designs were performed using MCNP simulations. In this article the neutron spectrum and the optimized beam shaping assembly for liver tumor treatments is presented.« less

Response of LaBr3(Ce) scintillators to 2.5 MeV fusion neutrons.

PubMed

Cazzaniga, C; Nocente, M; Tardocchi, M; Croci, G; Giacomelli, L; Angelone, M; Pillon, M; Villari, S; Weller, A; Petrizzi, L; Gorini, G

2013-12-01

Measurements of the response of LaBr3(Ce) to 2.5 MeV neutrons have been carried out at the Frascati Neutron Generator and at tokamak facilities with deuterium plasmas. The observed spectrum has been interpreted by means of a Monte Carlo model. It is found that the main contributor to the measured response is neutron inelastic scattering on (79)Br, (81)Br, and (139)La. An extrapolation of the count rate response to 14 MeV neutrons from deuterium-tritium plasmas is also presented. The results are of relevance for the design of γ-ray diagnostics of fusion burning plasmas.

High-field neutral beam injection for improving the Q of a gas dynamic trap-based fusion neutron source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, Qiusun; Chen, Dehong; Wang, Minghuang

2017-12-01

In order to improve the fusion energy gain (Q) of a gas dynamic trap (GDT)-based fusion neutron source, a method in which the neutral beam is obliquely injected at a higher magnetic field position rather than at the mid-plane of the GDT is proposed. This method is beneficial for confining a higher density of fast ions at the turning point in the zone with a higher magnetic field, as well as obtaining a higher mirror ratio by reducing the mid-plane field rather than increasing the mirror field. In this situation, collision scattering loss of fast ions with higher density will occur and change the confinement time, power balance and particle balance. Using an updated calculation model with high-field neutral beam injection for a GDT-based fusion neutron source conceptual design, we got four optimal design schemes for a GDT-based fusion neutron source in which Q was improved to two- to three-fold compared with a conventional design scheme and considering the limitation for avoiding plasma instabilities, especially the fire-hose instability. The distribution of fast ions could be optimized by building a proper magnetic field configuration with enough space for neutron shielding and by multi-beam neutral particle injection at different axial points.

Species separation and modification of neutron diagnostics in inertial-confinement fusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inglebert, A.; Canaud, B.; Larroche, O.

2014-09-01

The different behaviours of deuterium (D) and tritium (T) in the hot spot of marginally igniting cryogenic DT inertial-confinement fusion (ICF) targets are investigated with an ion Fokker-Planck model. With respect to an equivalent single-species model, a higher density and a higher temperature are found for T in the stagnation phase of the target implosion. In addition, the stagnating hot spot is found to be less dense but hotter than in the single-species case. As a result, the fusion reaction yield in the hot spot is significantly increased. Fusion neutron diagnostics of the implosion find a larger ion temperature as deduced from DT reactions than from DD reactions, in good agreement with NIF experimental results. ICF target designs should thus definitely take ion-kinetic effects into account.

Frontiers of stellar evolution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lambert, David L. (Editor)

1991-01-01

The present conference discusses theoretical and observational views of star formation, spectroscopic constraints on the evolution of massive stars, very low mass stars and brown dwarfs, asteroseismology, globular clusters as tests of stellar evolution, observational tests of stellar evolution, and mass loss from cool evolved giant stars. Also discussed are white dwarfs and hot subdwarfs, neutron stars and black holes, supernovae from single stars, close binaries with evolved components, accretion disks in interacting binaries, supernovae in binary systems, stellar evolution and galactic chemical evolution, and interacting binaries containing compact components.

Generation of the neutron response function of an NE213 scintillator for fusion applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Binda, F.; Eriksson, J.; Ericsson, G.; Hellesen, C.; Conroy, S.; Nocente, M.; Sundén, E. Andersson; JET Contributors

2017-09-01

In this work we present a method to evaluate the neutron response function of an NE213 liquid scintillator. This method is particularly useful when the proton light yield function of the detector has not been measured, since it is based on a proton light yield function taken from literature, MCNPX simulations, measurements of gamma-rays from a calibration source and measurements of neutrons from fusion experiments with ohmic plasmas. The inclusion of the latter improves the description of the proton light yield function in the energy range of interest (around 2.46 MeV). We apply this method to an NE213 detector installed at JET, inside the radiation shielding of the magnetic proton recoil (MPRu) spectrometer, and present the results from the calibration along with some examples of application of the response function to perform neutron emission spectroscopy (NES) of fusion plasmas. We also investigate how the choice of the proton light yield function affects the NES analysis, finding that the result does not change significantly. This points to the fact that the method for the evaluation of the neutron response function is robust and gives reliable results.

Indirect Study of the 16O+16O Fusion Reaction Toward Stellar Energies by the Trojan Horse Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayakawa, S.; Spitaleri, C.; Burtebayev, N.; Aimaganbetov, A.; Figuera, P.; Fisichella, M.; Guardo, G. L.; Igamov, S.; Indelicato, I.; Kiss, G.; Kliczewski, S.; La Cognata, M.; Lamia, L.; Lattuada, M.; Piasecki, E.; Rapisarda, G. G.; Romano, S.; Sakuta, S. B.; Siudak, R.; Trzcińska, A.; Tumino, A.; Urkinbayev, A.

2016-05-01

The 16O+16O fusion reaction is important in terms of the explosive oxygen burning process during late evolution stage of massive stars as well as understanding of the mechanism of low-energy heavy-ion fusion reactions. We aim to determine the excitation function for the most major exit channels, α+28Si and p+31P, toward stellar energies indirectly by the Trojan Horse Method via the 16O(20Ne, α28Si)α and 16O(20Ne, p31P)α three-body reactions. We report preliminary results involving reaction identification, and determination of the momentum distribution of α-16O intercluster motion in the projectile 20Ne nucleus.

Solving the relativistic inverse stellar problem through gravitational waves observation of binary neutron stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdelsalhin, Tiziano; Maselli, Andrea; Ferrari, Valeria

2018-04-01

The LIGO/Virgo Collaboration has recently announced the direct detection of gravitational waves emitted in the coalescence of a neutron star binary. This discovery allows, for the first time, to set new constraints on the behavior of matter at supranuclear density, complementary with those coming from astrophysical observations in the electromagnetic band. In this paper we demonstrate the feasibility of using gravitational signals to solve the relativistic inverse stellar problem, i.e., to reconstruct the parameters of the equation of state (EoS) from measurements of the stellar mass and tidal Love number. We perform Bayesian inference of mock data, based on different models of the star internal composition, modeled through piecewise polytropes. Our analysis shows that the detection of a small number of sources by a network of advanced interferometers would allow to put accurate bounds on the EoS parameters, and to perform a model selection among the realistic equations of state proposed in the literature.

Fusion Power measurement at ITER

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bertalot, L.; Barnsley, R.; Krasilnikov, V.

2015-07-01

Nuclear fusion research aims to provide energy for the future in a sustainable way and the ITER project scope is to demonstrate the feasibility of nuclear fusion energy. ITER is a nuclear experimental reactor based on a large scale fusion plasma (tokamak type) device generating Deuterium - Tritium (DT) fusion reactions with emission of 14 MeV neutrons producing up to 700 MW fusion power. The measurement of fusion power, i.e. total neutron emissivity, will play an important role for achieving ITER goals, in particular the fusion gain factor Q related to the reactor performance. Particular attention is given also tomore » the development of the neutron calibration strategy whose main scope is to achieve the required accuracy of 10% for the measurement of fusion power. Neutron Flux Monitors located in diagnostic ports and inside the vacuum vessel will measure ITER total neutron emissivity, expected to range from 1014 n/s in Deuterium - Deuterium (DD) plasmas up to almost 10{sup 21} n/s in DT plasmas. The neutron detection systems as well all other ITER diagnostics have to withstand high nuclear radiation and electromagnetic fields as well ultrahigh vacuum and thermal loads. (authors)« less

14 MeV Neutron Irradiation Effect on Superconducting Magnet Materials for Fusion Device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nishimura, A.; Hishinuma, Y.; Seo, K.; Tanaka, T.; Muroga, T.; Nishijima, S.; Katagiri, K.; Takeuchi, T.; Shindo, Y.; Ochiai, K.; Nishitani, T.; Okuno, K.

2006-03-01

As a large-scale plasma experimental device is planned and designed, the importance of investigations on irradiation effect of 14 MeV neutron increases and an experimental database is desired to be piled up. Recently, intense streaming of fast neutron from ports are reported and degradation of superconducting magnet performance is anticipated. To investigate the pure neutron effect on superconducting magnet materials, a cryogenic target system was newly developed and installed at Fusion Neutronics Source in Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute. Although production rate of 14 MeV neutron is not large, only 14 MeV neutron can be supplied to irradiation test without gamma ray. Copper wires, superconducting wires, glass fiber reinforced composites are irradiated and the irradiation effects are characterized. At the same time, sensors for measuring temperature and magnetic field are irradiated and their performance was investigated after irradiation. This paper presents outline of the cryogenic target system and some irradiation test results.

Neutron transport-burnup code MCORGS and its application in fusion fission hybrid blanket conceptual research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Xue-Ming; Peng, Xian-Jue

2016-09-01

Fusion science and technology has made progress in the last decades. However, commercialization of fusion reactors still faces challenges relating to higher fusion energy gain, irradiation-resistant material, and tritium self-sufficiency. Fusion Fission Hybrid Reactors (FFHR) can be introduced to accelerate the early application of fusion energy. Traditionally, FFHRs have been classified as either breeders or transmuters. Both need partition of plutonium from spent fuel, which will pose nuclear proliferation risks. A conceptual design of a Fusion Fission Hybrid Reactor for Energy (FFHR-E), which can make full use of natural uranium with lower nuclear proliferation risk, is presented. The fusion core parameters are similar to those of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor. An alloy of natural uranium and zirconium is adopted in the fission blanket, which is cooled by light water. In order to model blanket burnup problems, a linkage code MCORGS, which couples MCNP4B and ORIGEN-S, is developed and validated through several typical benchmarks. The average blanket energy Multiplication and Tritium Breeding Ratio can be maintained at 10 and 1.15 respectively over tens of years of continuous irradiation. If simple reprocessing without separation of plutonium from uranium is adopted every few years, FFHR-E can achieve better neutronic performance. MCORGS has also been used to analyze the ultra-deep burnup model of Laser Inertial Confinement Fusion Fission Energy (LIFE) from LLNL, and a new blanket design that uses Pb instead of Be as the neutron multiplier is proposed. In addition, MCORGS has been used to simulate the fluid transmuter model of the In-Zinerater from Sandia. A brief comparison of LIFE, In-Zinerater, and FFHR-E will be given.

Thermonuclear reactions probed at stellar-core conditions with laser-based inertial-confinement fusion

DOE PAGES

Casey, D. T.; Sayre, D. B.; Brune, C. R.; ...

2017-08-07

Stars are giant thermonuclear plasma furnaces that slowly fuse the lighter elements in the universe into heavier elements, releasing energy, and generating the pressure required to prevent collapse. To understand stars, we must rely on nuclear reaction rate data obtained, up to now, under conditions very different from those of stellar cores. Here we show thermonuclear measurements of the 2H(d, n) 3He and 3H(t,2n) 4He S-factors at a range of densities (1.2–16 g cm –3) and temperatures (2.1–5.4 keV) that allow us to test the conditions of the hydrogen-burning phase of main-sequence stars. The relevant conditions are created using inertial-confinementmore » fusion implosions at the National Ignition Facility. Here, our data agree within uncertainty with previous accelerator-based measurements and establish this approach for future experiments to measure other reactions and to test plasma-nuclear effects present in stellar interiors, such as plasma electron screening, directly in the environments where they occur.« less

Three-dimensional modeling of the neutron spectrum to infer plasma conditions in cryogenic inertial confinement fusion implosions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Weilacher, F.; Radha, P. B.; Forrest, C.

Neutron-based diagnostics are typically used to infer compressed core conditions such as areal density and ion temperature in deuterium–tritium (D–T) inertial confinement fusion (ICF) implosions. Asymmetries in the observed neutron-related quantities are important to understanding failure modes in these implosions. Neutrons from fusion reactions and their subsequent interactions including elastic scattering and neutron-induced deuteron breakup reactions are tracked to create spectra. Here, it is shown that background subtraction is important for inferring areal density from backscattered neutrons and is less important for the forward-scattered neutrons. A three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulation of a cryogenic implosion on the OMEGA Laser System [T. R.more » Boehly et al., Opt. Commun. 133, 495 (1997)] using the hydrodynamic code HYDRA [M. M. Marinak et al., Phys. Plasmas 8, 2275 (2001)] is post-processed using the tracking code IRIS3D. It is shown that different parts of the neutron spectrum from the view can be mapped into different regions of the implosion, enabling an inference of an areal-density map. It is also shown that the average areal-density and an areal-density map of the compressed target can be reconstructed with a finite number of detectors placed around the target chamber. Ion temperatures are inferred from the width of the D–D and D–T fusion neutron spectra. Backgrounds can significantly alter the inferred ion temperatures from the D–D reaction, whereas they insignificantly influence the inferred D–T ion temperatures for the areal densities typical of OMEGA implosions. Asymmetries resulting in fluid flow in the core are shown to influence the absolute inferred ion temperatures from both reactions, although relative inferred values continue to reflect the underlying asymmetry pattern. The work presented here is part of the wide range of the first set of studies performed with IRIS3D. Finally, this code will continue to be used for

Three-dimensional modeling of the neutron spectrum to infer plasma conditions in cryogenic inertial confinement fusion implosions

DOE PAGES

Weilacher, F.; Radha, P. B.; Forrest, C.

2018-04-26

Neutron-based diagnostics are typically used to infer compressed core conditions such as areal density and ion temperature in deuterium–tritium (D–T) inertial confinement fusion (ICF) implosions. Asymmetries in the observed neutron-related quantities are important to understanding failure modes in these implosions. Neutrons from fusion reactions and their subsequent interactions including elastic scattering and neutron-induced deuteron breakup reactions are tracked to create spectra. Here, it is shown that background subtraction is important for inferring areal density from backscattered neutrons and is less important for the forward-scattered neutrons. A three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulation of a cryogenic implosion on the OMEGA Laser System [T. R.more » Boehly et al., Opt. Commun. 133, 495 (1997)] using the hydrodynamic code HYDRA [M. M. Marinak et al., Phys. Plasmas 8, 2275 (2001)] is post-processed using the tracking code IRIS3D. It is shown that different parts of the neutron spectrum from the view can be mapped into different regions of the implosion, enabling an inference of an areal-density map. It is also shown that the average areal-density and an areal-density map of the compressed target can be reconstructed with a finite number of detectors placed around the target chamber. Ion temperatures are inferred from the width of the D–D and D–T fusion neutron spectra. Backgrounds can significantly alter the inferred ion temperatures from the D–D reaction, whereas they insignificantly influence the inferred D–T ion temperatures for the areal densities typical of OMEGA implosions. Asymmetries resulting in fluid flow in the core are shown to influence the absolute inferred ion temperatures from both reactions, although relative inferred values continue to reflect the underlying asymmetry pattern. The work presented here is part of the wide range of the first set of studies performed with IRIS3D. Finally, this code will continue to be used for

Three-dimensional modeling of the neutron spectrum to infer plasma conditions in cryogenic inertial confinement fusion implosions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weilacher, F.; Radha, P. B.; Forrest, C.

2018-04-01

Neutron-based diagnostics are typically used to infer compressed core conditions such as areal density and ion temperature in deuterium-tritium (D-T) inertial confinement fusion (ICF) implosions. Asymmetries in the observed neutron-related quantities are important to understanding failure modes in these implosions. Neutrons from fusion reactions and their subsequent interactions including elastic scattering and neutron-induced deuteron breakup reactions are tracked to create spectra. It is shown that background subtraction is important for inferring areal density from backscattered neutrons and is less important for the forward-scattered neutrons. A three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulation of a cryogenic implosion on the OMEGA Laser System [Boehly et al., Opt. Commun. 133, 495 (1997)] using the hydrodynamic code HYDRA [Marinak et al., Phys. Plasmas 8, 2275 (2001)] is post-processed using the tracking code IRIS3D. It is shown that different parts of the neutron spectrum from the view can be mapped into different regions of the implosion, enabling an inference of an areal-density map. It is also shown that the average areal-density and an areal-density map of the compressed target can be reconstructed with a finite number of detectors placed around the target chamber. Ion temperatures are inferred from the width of the D-D and D-T fusion neutron spectra. Backgrounds can significantly alter the inferred ion temperatures from the D-D reaction, whereas they insignificantly influence the inferred D-T ion temperatures for the areal densities typical of OMEGA implosions. Asymmetries resulting in fluid flow in the core are shown to influence the absolute inferred ion temperatures from both reactions, although relative inferred values continue to reflect the underlying asymmetry pattern. The work presented here is part of the wide range of the first set of studies performed with IRIS3D. This code will continue to be used for post-processing detailed hydrodynamic simulations

Measurement of DT neutron-induced activity in glass-microshell laser fusion targets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lane, S. M.; Campbell, E. M.; Bennett, C.

1980-10-01

Laser fusion targets consisting of DT gas contained in Teflon-coated glass microshells produce 14.1-MeV neutrons that can interact with the (Si-28) nuclei in the glass to produce radioactive (Al-28). Using a very efficient collection-detection scheme that could detect the decay of 10% of the (Al-28) created, these nuclei are identified by their 1.78-MeV gamma ray, which decayed with a 2.2-min half-life. From the number of (Al-28) nuclei created and the neutron yield the compressed glass areal density was found to be 0.0059 g/sq cm.

Evaluation of two-stage system for neutron measurement aiming at increase in count rate at Japan Atomic Energy Agency-Fusion Neutronics Source

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shinohara, K., E-mail: shinohara.koji@jaea.go.jp; Ochiai, K.; Sukegawa, A.

In order to increase the count rate capability of a neutron detection system as a whole, we propose a multi-stage neutron detection system. Experiments to test the effectiveness of this concept were carried out on Fusion Neutronics Source. Comparing four configurations of alignment, it was found that the influence of an anterior stage on a posterior stage was negligible for the pulse height distribution. The two-stage system using 25 mm thickness scintillator was about 1.65 times the count rate capability of a single detector system for d-D neutrons and was about 1.8 times the count rate capability for d-T neutrons.more » The results suggested that the concept of a multi-stage detection system will work in practice.« less

Dependence of Fusion Barrier Heights on the Difference of Proton and Neutron Radii

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dobrowolski, A.; Pomorski, K.; Bartel, J.

2005-04-01

Using the Skyrme effective nucleon--nucleon interaction together with the semiclassical Extended Thomas--Fermi approach (ETF) we investigate the relative change of the fusion barrier heights for the reaction 16O+208Pb as function of the nuclear proton or neutron radii of the colliding nuclei.

Strong stellar winds.

PubMed

Conti, P S; McCray, R

1980-04-04

The hottest and most luminous stars lose a substantial fraction of their mass in strong stellar winds. These winds not only affect the evolution of the star, they also carve huge expanding cavities in the surrounding interstellar medium, possibly affecting star formation. The winds are probably driven by radiation pressure, but uncertainties persist in their theoretical description. Strong x-ray sources associated with a few of these hot stars may be used to probe the stellar winds. The nature of the weak x-ray sources recently observed to be associated with many of these stars is uncertain. It is suggested that roughly 10 percent of the luminous hot stars may have as companions neutron stars or black holes orbiting within the stellar winds.

Coupled-channels analyses for 9,11Li + 208Pb fusion reactions with multi-neutron transfer couplings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Ki-Seok; Cheoun, Myung-Ki; So, W. Y.; Hagino, K.; Kim, K. S.

2018-05-01

We discuss the role of two-neutron transfer processes in the fusion reaction of the 9,11Li + 208Pb systems. We first analyze the 9Li + 208Pb reaction by taking into account the coupling to the 7Li + 210Pb channel. To this end, we assume that two neutrons are directly transferred to a single effective channel in 210Pb and solve the coupled-channels equations with the two channels. By adjusting the coupling strength and the effective Q-value, we successfully reproduce the experimental fusion cross sections for this system. We then analyze the 11Li + 208Pb reaction in a similar manner, that is, by taking into account three effective channels with 11Li + 208Pb, 9Li + 210Pb, and 7Li + 212Pb partitions. In order to take into account the halo structure of the 11Li nucleus, we construct the potential between 11Li and 208Pb with a double folding procedure, while we employ a Woods-Saxon type potential with the global Akyüz-Winther parameters for the other channels. Our calculation indicates that the multiple two-neutron transfer process plays a crucial role in the 11Li + 208Pb fusion reaction at energies around the Coulomb barrier.

Analysis of the neutron time-of-flight spectra from inertial confinement fusion experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hatarik, R.; Sayre, D. B.; Caggiano, J. A.; Phillips, T.; Eckart, M. J.; Bond, E. J.; Cerjan, C.; Grim, G. P.; Hartouni, E. P.; Knauer, J. P.; Mcnaney, J. M.; Munro, D. H.

2015-11-01

Neutron time-of-flight diagnostics have long been used to characterize the neutron spectrum produced by inertial confinement fusion experiments. The primary diagnostic goals are to extract the d + t → n + α (DT) and d + d → n + 3He (DD) neutron yields and peak widths, and the amount DT scattering relative to its unscattered yield, also known as the down-scatter ratio (DSR). These quantities are used to infer yield weighted plasma conditions, such as ion temperature (Tion) and cold fuel areal density. We report on novel methodologies used to determine neutron yield, apparent Tion, and DSR. These methods invoke a single temperature, static fluid model to describe the neutron peaks from DD and DT reactions and a spline description of the DT spectrum to determine the DSR. Both measurements are performed using a forward modeling technique that includes corrections for line-of-sight attenuation and impulse response of the detection system. These methods produce typical uncertainties for DT Tion of 250 eV, 7% for DSR, and 9% for the DT neutron yield. For the DD values, the uncertainties are 290 eV for Tion and 10% for the neutron yield.

Physicsdesign point for a 1MW fusion neutron source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woodruff, Simon; Melnik, Paul; Sieck, Paul; Stuber, James; Romero-Talamas, Carlos; O'Bryan, John; Miller, Ronald

2016-10-01

We are developing a design point for a spheromak experiment heated by adiabatic compression for use as a compact neutron source. We utilize the CORSICA and NIMROD MHD codes as well as analytic modeling to assess a concept with target parameters R0 =0.5m, Rf =0.17m, T0 =1keV, Tf =8keV, n0 =2e20m-3 and nf = 5e21m-3, with radial convergence of C =R0/Rf =3. We present results from CORSICA showing the placement of coils and passive structure to ensure stability during compression. We specify target parameters for the compression in terms of plasma beta, formation efficiency and energy confinement. We present results simulations of magnetic compression using the NIMROD code to examine the role of rotation on the stability and confinement of the spheromak as it is compressed. Supported by DARPA Grant N66001-14-1-4044 and IAEA CRP on Compact Fusion Neutron Sources.

Neutron spectroscopy measurements of 14 MeV neutrons at unprecedented energy resolution and implications for deuterium-tritium fusion plasma diagnostics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rigamonti, D.; Giacomelli, L.; Gorini, G.; Nocente, M.; Rebai, M.; Tardocchi, M.; Angelone, M.; Batistoni, P.; Cufar, A.; Ghani, Z.; Jednorog, S.; Klix, A.; Laszynska, E.; Loreti, S.; Pillon, M.; Popovichev, S.; Roberts, N.; Thomas, D.; Contributors, JET

2018-04-01

An accurate calibration of the JET neutron diagnostics with a 14 MeV neutron generator was performed in the first half of 2017 in order to provide a reliable measurement of the fusion power during the next JET deuterium-tritium (DT) campaign. In order to meet the target accuracy, the chosen neutron generator has been fully characterized at the Neutron Metrology Laboratory of the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), Teddington, United Kingdom. The present paper describes the measurements of the neutron energy spectra obtained using a high-resolution single-crystal diamond detector (SCD). The measurements, together with a new neutron source routine ‘ad hoc’ developed for the MCNP code, allowed the complex features of the neutron energy spectra resulting from the mixed D/T beam ions interacting with the T/D target nuclei to be resolved for the first time. From the spectral analysis a quantitative estimation of the beam ion composition has been made. The unprecedented intrinsic energy resolution (<1% full width at half maximum (FWHM) at 14 MeV) of diamond detectors opens up new prospects for diagnosing DT plasmas, such as, for instance, the possibility to study non-classical slowing down of the beam ions by neutron spectroscopy on ITER.

Upgrade of the IGN-14 neutron generator for research on detection of fusion-plasma products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Igielski, Andrzej; Kurowski, Arkadiusz; Janik, Władysław; Gabańska, Barbara; Woźnicka, Urszula

2015-10-01

The fast neutron generator (IGN-14) at the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IFJ PAN) in Kraków (Poland) is a laboratory multi-purpose experimental device. Neutrons are produced in a beam-target D-D or D-T reactions. A new vacuum chamber installed directly to the end of the ion guide of IGN-14 makes it possible to measure not only neutrons but also alpha particles in the presence of a mixed radiation field of other accompanying reaction products. The new experimental setup allows test detectors dedicated to spectrometric measurements of thermonuclear fusion reaction products.

Optimization of the neutron yield in fusion plasmas produced by Coulomb explosions of deuterium clusters irradiated by a petawatt laser.

PubMed

Bang, W; Dyer, G; Quevedo, H J; Bernstein, A C; Gaul, E; Donovan, M; Ditmire, T

2013-02-01

The kinetic energy of hot (multi-keV) ions from the laser-driven Coulomb explosion of deuterium clusters and the resulting fusion yield in plasmas formed from these exploding clusters has been investigated under a variety of conditions using the Texas Petawatt laser. An optimum laser intensity was found for producing neutrons in these cluster fusion plasmas with corresponding average ion energies of 14 keV. The substantial volume (1-10 mm(3)) of the laser-cluster interaction produced by the petawatt peak power laser pulse led to a fusion yield of 1.6×10(7) neutrons in a single shot with a 120 J, 170 fs laser pulse. Possible effects of prepulses are discussed.

3D Neutronic Analysis in MHD Calculations at ARIES-ST Fusion Reactors Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hançerliogulları, Aybaba; Cini, Mesut

2013-10-01

In this study, we developed new models for liquid wall (FW) state at ARIES-ST fusion reactor systems. ARIES-ST is a 1,000 MWe fusion reactor system based on a low aspect ratio ST plasma. In this article, we analyzed the characteristic properties of magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) and heat transfer conditions by using Monte-Carlo simulation methods (ARIES Team et al. in Fusion Eng Des 49-50:689-695, 2000; Tillack et al. in Fusion Eng Des 65:215-261, 2003) . In fusion applications, liquid metals are traditionally considered to be the best working fluids. The working liquid must be a lithium-containing medium in order to provide adequate tritium that the plasma is self-sustained and that the fusion is a renewable energy source. As for Flibe free surface flows, the MHD effects caused by interaction with the mean flow is negligible, while a fairly uniform flow of thick can be maintained throughout the reactor based on 3-D MHD calculations. In this study, neutronic parameters, that is to say, energy multiplication factor radiation, heat flux and fissile fuel breeding were researched for fusion reactor with various thorium and uranium molten salts. Sufficient tritium amount is needed for the reactor to work itself. In the tritium breeding ratio (TBR) >1.05 ARIES-ST fusion model TBR is >1.1 so that tritium self-sufficiency is maintained for DT fusion systems (Starke et al. in Fusion Energ Des 84:1794-1798, 2009; Najmabadi et al. in Fusion Energ Des 80:3-23, 2006).

Evidence of nuclear fusion neutrons in an extremely small plasma focus device operating at 0.1 Joules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soto, Leopoldo; Pavéz, Cristián; Moreno, José; Altamirano, Luis; Huerta, Luis; Barbaglia, Mario; Clausse, Alejandro; Mayer, Roberto E.

2017-08-01

We report on D-D fusion neutron emission in a plasma device with an energy input of only 0.1 J, within a range where fusion events have been considered very improbable. The results presented here are the consequence of scaling rules we have derived, thus being the key point to assure the same energy density plasma in smaller devices than in large machines. The Nanofocus (NF)—our device—was designed and constructed at the P4 Lab of the Chilean Nuclear Energy Commission. Two sets of independent measurements, with different instrumentation, were made at two laboratories, in Chile and Argentina. The neutron events observed are 20σ greater than the background. The NF plasma is produced from a pulsed electrical discharge using a submillimetric anode, in a deuterium atmosphere, showing empirically that it is, in fact, possible to heat and compress the plasma. The strong evidence presented here stretches the limits beyond what was expected. A thorough understanding of this could possibly tell us where the theoretical limits actually lie, beyond conjectures. Notwithstanding, a window is thus open for low cost endeavours for basic fusion research. In addition, the development of small, portable, safe nonradioactive neutron sources becomes a feasible issue.

Analysis of the neutron time-of-flight spectra from inertial confinement fusion experiments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hatarik, R., E-mail: hatarik1@llnl.gov; Sayre, D. B.; Caggiano, J. A.

2015-11-14

Neutron time-of-flight diagnostics have long been used to characterize the neutron spectrum produced by inertial confinement fusion experiments. The primary diagnostic goals are to extract the d + t → n + α (DT) and d + d → n + {sup 3}He (DD) neutron yields and peak widths, and the amount DT scattering relative to its unscattered yield, also known as the down-scatter ratio (DSR). These quantities are used to infer yield weighted plasma conditions, such as ion temperature (T{sub ion}) and cold fuel areal density. We report on novel methodologies used to determine neutron yield, apparent T{sub ion}, and DSR. These methods invoke a single temperature,more » static fluid model to describe the neutron peaks from DD and DT reactions and a spline description of the DT spectrum to determine the DSR. Both measurements are performed using a forward modeling technique that includes corrections for line-of-sight attenuation and impulse response of the detection system. These methods produce typical uncertainties for DT T{sub ion} of 250 eV, 7% for DSR, and 9% for the DT neutron yield. For the DD values, the uncertainties are 290 eV for T{sub ion} and 10% for the neutron yield.« less

Rotational stellar structures based on the Lagrangian variational principle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yasutake, Nobutoshi; Fujisawa, Kotaro; Yamada, Shoichi

2017-06-01

A new method for multi-dimensional stellar structures is proposed in this study. As for stellar evolution calculations, the Heney method is the defacto standard now, but basically assumed to be spherical symmetric. It is one of the difficulties for deformed stellar-evolution calculations to trace the potentially complex movements of each fluid element. On the other hand, our new method is very suitable to follow such movements, since it is based on the Lagrange coordinate. This scheme is also based on the variational principle, which is adopted to the studies for the pasta structures inside of neutron stars. Our scheme could be a major break through for evolution calculations of any types of deformed stars: proto-planets, proto-stars, and proto-neutron stars, etc.

Neutron and gamma flux distributions and their implications for radiation damage in the shielded superconducting core of a fusion power plant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Windsor, Colin G.; Morgan, J. Guy

2017-11-01

The neutron and gamma ray fluxes within the shielded high-temperature superconducting central columns of proposed spherical tokamak power plants have been studied using the MCNP Monte-Carlo code. The spatial, energy and angular variations of the fluxes over the shield and superconducting core are computed and used to specify experimental studies relevant to radiation damage and activation. The mean neutron and gamma fluxes, averaged over energy and angle, are shown to decay exponentially through the shield and then to remain roughly constant in the core region. The mean energy of neutrons is shown to decay more slowly than the neutron flux through the shield while the gamma energy is almost constant around 2 MeV. The differential neutron and gamma fluxes as a function of energy are examined. The neutron spectrum shows a fusion peak around 1 MeV changing at lower energies into an epithermal E -0.85 variation and at thermal energies to a Maxwellian distribution. The neutron and gamma energy spectra are defined for the outer surface of the superconducting core, relevant to damage studies. The inclusion of tungsten boride in the shield is shown to reduce energy deposition. A series of plasma scenarios with varying plasma major radii between 0.6 and 2.5 m was considered. Neutron and gamma fluxes are shown to decay exponentially with plasma radius, except at low shield thickness. Using the currently known experimental fluence limitations for high temperature superconductors, the continuous running time before the fluence limit is reached has been calculated to be days at 1.4 m major radius increasing to years at 2.2 m. This work helps validate the concept of the spherical tokamak route to fusion power by demonstrating that the neutron shielding required for long lifetime fusion power generation can be accommodated in a compact device.

Fusion pumped laser

DOEpatents

Pappas, D.S.

1987-07-31

The apparatus of this invention may comprise a system for generating laser radiation from a high-energy neutron source. The neutron source is a tokamak fusion reactor generating a long pulse of high-energy neutrons and having a temperature and magnetic field effective to generate a neutron flux of at least 10/sup 15/ neutrons/cm/sup 2//center dot/s. Conversion means are provided adjacent the fusion reactor at a location operable for converting the high-energy neutrons to an energy source with an intensity and energy effective to excite a preselected lasing medium. A lasing medium is spaced about and responsive to the energy source to generate a population inversion effective to support laser oscillations for generating output radiation. 2 figs., 2 tabs.

Georgia Tech Studies of Sub-Critical Advanced Burner Reactors with a D-T Fusion Tokamak Neutron Source for the Transmutation of Spent Nuclear Fuel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stacey, W. M.

2009-09-01

The possibility that a tokamak D-T fusion neutron source, based on ITER physics and technology, could be used to drive sub-critical, fast-spectrum nuclear reactors fueled with the transuranics (TRU) in spent nuclear fuel discharged from conventional nuclear reactors has been investigated at Georgia Tech in a series of studies which are summarized in this paper. It is found that sub-critical operation of such fast transmutation reactors is advantageous in allowing longer fuel residence time, hence greater TRU burnup between fuel reprocessing stages, and in allowing higher TRU loading without compromising safety, relative to what could be achieved in a similar critical transmutation reactor. The required plasma and fusion technology operating parameter range of the fusion neutron source is generally within the anticipated operational range of ITER. The implications of these results for fusion development policy, if they hold up under more extensive and detailed analysis, is that a D-T fusion tokamak neutron source for a sub-critical transmutation reactor, built on the basis of the ITER operating experience, could possibly be a logical next step after ITER on the path to fusion electrical power reactors. At the same time, such an application would allow fusion to contribute to meeting the nation's energy needs at an earlier stage by helping to close the fission reactor nuclear fuel cycle.

Fast Pb-glass neutron-to-light converter for ICF (Inertial Confinement Fusion) target burn history measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lerche, R. A.; Cable, M. D.; Phillion, D. W.

1990-09-01

We are developing a streak camera based instrument to diagnose the fusion reaction rate (burn history) within laser-driven ICF targets filled with D-T fuel. Recently, we attempted measurements using the 16.7 MeV gamma ray emitted in the T(d,gamma)He(5) fusion reaction. Pb glass which has a large cross section for pair production acts as a gamma-ray-to-light converter. Gamma rays interact within the glass to form electron-positron pairs that produce large amounts (1000 photons/gamma ray) of prompt (less than 10 ps) Cerenkov light as they slow down. In our experimental instrument, an f/10 Cassegrain telescope optically couples light produced within the converter to a streak camera having 20-ps resolution. Experiments using high-yield (10(exp 13) D-T neutrons), direct-drive targets at Nova produced good signals with widths of 200 ps. Time-of-flight measurements show the signals to be induced by neutrons rather than gamma rays. The Pb glass appears to act as a fast neutron-to-light converter. We continue to study the interactions process and the possibility of using the 16.7 MeV gamma rays for burn time measurements.

Alternative approaches to fusion. [reactor design and reactor physics for Tokamak fusion reactors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roth, R. J.

1976-01-01

The limitations of the Tokamak fusion reactor concept are discussed and various other fusion reactor concepts are considered that employ the containment of thermonuclear plasmas by magnetic fields (i.e., stellarators). Progress made in the containment of plasmas in toroidal devices is reported. Reactor design concepts are illustrated. The possibility of using fusion reactors as a power source in interplanetary space travel and electric power plants is briefly examined.

Nuclear science experiments with a bright neutron source from fusion reactions on the OMEGA Laser System

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Forrest, C. J.; Knauer, J. P.; Schroeder, W. U.

Subnanosecond impulses of 10 13 to 10 14 neutrons, produced in direct-drive laser inertial confinement fusion implosions, have been used to irradiate deuterated targets at the OMEGA Laser System [T. R. Boehly et al., Opt. Commun. 133, 495 (1997)]. The target compounds include heavy water (D 2O) and deuterated benzene (C 6D 6). Yields and energy spectra of neutrons from D(n,2n)p to study the breakup reaction have been measured at a forward angle of θlab = 3.5 degrees plus/minus 3.5 degrees with a sensitive, high-dynamic-range neutron time-of-flight spectrometer to infer the double-differential breakup cross section d2sigma/dEdomega for 14-MeV D–T fusionmore » neutrons.« less

Nuclear science experiments with a bright neutron source from fusion reactions on the OMEGA Laser System

DOE PAGES

Forrest, C. J.; Knauer, J. P.; Schroeder, W. U.; ...

2018-01-31

Subnanosecond impulses of 10 13 to 10 14 neutrons, produced in direct-drive laser inertial confinement fusion implosions, have been used to irradiate deuterated targets at the OMEGA Laser System [T. R. Boehly et al., Opt. Commun. 133, 495 (1997)]. The target compounds include heavy water (D 2O) and deuterated benzene (C 6D 6). Yields and energy spectra of neutrons from D(n,2n)p to study the breakup reaction have been measured at a forward angle of θlab = 3.5 degrees plus/minus 3.5 degrees with a sensitive, high-dynamic-range neutron time-of-flight spectrometer to infer the double-differential breakup cross section d2sigma/dEdomega for 14-MeV D–T fusionmore » neutrons.« less

Single crystal diamond detector measurements of deuterium-deuterium and deuterium-tritium neutrons in Joint European Torus fusion plasmas.

PubMed

Cazzaniga, C; Sundén, E Andersson; Binda, F; Croci, G; Ericsson, G; Giacomelli, L; Gorini, G; Griesmayer, E; Grosso, G; Kaveney, G; Nocente, M; Perelli Cippo, E; Rebai, M; Syme, B; Tardocchi, M

2014-04-01

First simultaneous measurements of deuterium-deuterium (DD) and deuterium-tritium neutrons from deuterium plasmas using a Single crystal Diamond Detector are presented in this paper. The measurements were performed at JET with a dedicated electronic chain that combined high count rate capabilities and high energy resolution. The deposited energy spectrum from DD neutrons was successfully reproduced by means of Monte Carlo calculations of the detector response function and simulations of neutron emission from the plasma, including background contributions. The reported results are of relevance for the development of compact neutron detectors with spectroscopy capabilities for installation in camera systems of present and future high power fusion experiments.

Nucleosynthesis: Stellar and Solar Abundances and Atomic Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cowan, John J.; Lawler, James E.; Sneden, Christopher; DenHartog, E. A.; Collier, Jason; Dodge, Homer L.

2006-01-01

Abundance observations indicate the presence of often surprisingly large amounts of neutron capture (i.e., s- and r-process) elements in old Galactic halo and globular cluster stars. These observations provide insight into the nature of the earliest generations of stars in the Galaxy the progenitors of the halo stars responsible for neutron-capture synthesis. Comparisons of abundance trends can be used to understand the chemical evolution of the Galaxy and the nature of heavy element nucleosynthesis. In addition age determinations, based upon long-lived radioactive nuclei abundances, can now be obtained. These stellar abundance determinations depend critically upon atomic data. Improved laboratory transition probabilities have been recently obtained for a number of elements. These new gf values have been used to greatly refine the abundances of neutron-capture elemental abundances in the solar photosphere and in very metal-poor Galactic halo stars. The newly determined stellar abundances are surprisingly consistent with a (relative) Solar System r-process pattern, and are also consistent with abundance predictions expected from such neutron-capture nucleosynthesis.

MHD Stability in Compact Stellarators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Guoyong

1999-11-01

A key issue for current carrying compact stellarators(S.P. Hirshman et al., "Physics of compact stellarators", Phys. Plasmas 6, 1858 (1999).) is the stability of ideal MHD modes. We present recent stability results of external kink modes, ballooning mode, and vertical modes in Quasi-axisymmetric Stellarators (QAS)( A. Reiman et al, "Physics issue in the design of a high beta Quasi-Axisymmetric Stellarator" the 17th IAEA Fusion Energy conference, (Yokohama, Japan, October 1998), Paper ICP/06.) as well as Quasi-Omnigeneous Stellarators (QOS)^2. The 3D stability code Terpsichore(W. A. Cooper et al., Phys. Plasmas 3, 275 (1996)) is used in this study. The vertical stability in a current carrying stellarator is studied for the first time. The vertical mode is found to be stabilized by externally generated poloidal flux(G.Y. Fu et al., "Stability of vertical mode in a current carrying stellarator"., to be submitted). Physically, this is because the external poloidal flux enhances the field line bending energy relative to the current drive term in the MHD energy principle, δ W. A simple stability criteria is derived in the limit of large aspect ratio and constant current density. For wall at infinite distance from the plasma, the amount of external flux needed for stabilization is given by f=(κ^2-κ)/(κ^2+1) where κ is the axisymmetric elongation and f is the fraction of the external rotational transform at the plasma edge. A systematic parameter study shows that the external kink in QAS can be stabilized at high beta ( ~ 5%) without a conducting wall by combination of edge magnetic shear and 3D shaping(G. Y. Fu et al., "MHD stability calculations of high-beta Quasi-Axisymmetric Stellarators", the 17th IAEA Fusion Energy conference, (Yokohama, Japan, October 1998), paper THP1/07.). The optimal shaping is obtained by using an optimizer with kink stability included in its objective function. The physics mechanism for the kink modes is studied by examining relative

A novel design for scintillator-based neutron and gamma imaging in inertial confinement fusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geppert-Kleinrath, Verena; Cutler, Theresa; Danly, Chris; Madden, Amanda; Merrill, Frank; Tybo, Josh; Volegov, Petr; Wilde, Carl

2017-10-01

The LANL Advanced Imaging team has been providing reliable 2D neutron imaging of the burning fusion fuel at NIF for years, revealing possible multi-dimensional asymmetries in the fuel shape, and therefore calling for additional views. Adding a passive imaging system using image plate techniques along a new polar line of sight has recently demonstrated the merit of 3D neutron image reconstruction. Now, the team is in the process of designing a new active neutron imaging system for an additional equatorial view. The design will include a gamma imaging system as well, to allow for the imaging of carbon in the ablator of the NIF fuel capsules, constraining the burning fuel shape even further. The selection of ideal scintillator materials for a position-sensitive detector system is the key component for the new design. A comprehensive study of advanced scintillators has been carried out at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center and the OMEGA Laser Facility in Rochester, NY. Neutron radiography using a fast-gated CCD camera system delivers measurements of resolution, light output and noise characteristics. The measured performance parameters inform the novel design, for which we conclude the feasibility of monolithic scintillators over pixelated counterparts.

Fuel Areal-Density Measurements in Laser-Driven Magnetized Inertial Fusion from Secondary Neutrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davies, J. R.; Barnak, D. H.; Betti, R.; Glebov, V. Yu.; Knauer, J. P.; Peebles, J. L.

2017-10-01

Laser-driven magnetized liner inertial fusion is being developed on the OMEGA laser to provide the first data at a significantly smaller scale than the Z pulsed-power machine in order to test scaling and to provide more shots with better diagnostic access than Z. In OMEGA experiments, a 0.6-mm-outer-diam plastic cylinder filled with 11 atm of D2 is placed in an axial magnetic field of 10 T, the D2 is preheated by a single beam along the axis, and then the cylinder is compressed by 40 beams. Secondary DT neutron yields provide a measurement of the areal density of the compressed D2 because the compressed fuel is much smaller than the mean free path and the Larmor radius of the T produced in D-D fusion. Measured secondary yields confirm theoretical predictions that preheating and magnetization reduce fuel compression. Higher fuel compression is found to consistently lead to lower neutron yields, which is not predicted by simulations. The information, data, or work presented herein was funded in part by the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), U.S. Department of Energy, under Award Number DE-AR0000568 and the Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration under Award Number DE-NA0001944.

Enhancement of fusion at near-barrier energies for neutron-rich light nuclei: 19O +12 C

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Varinderjit; Vadas, J.; Steinbach, T. K.; Wiggins, B. B.; Hudan, S.; Desouza, R. T.; Baby, L. T.; Kuvin, S. A.; Tripathi, Vandana; Wiedenhover, I.; Umar, A. S.

2017-01-01

Measuring the fusion excitation function for an isotopic chain of projectile nuclei provides a sensitive test of a microscopic description of fusion. To investigate the theoretically predicted fusion enhancement for neutron-rich light nuclei, an experiment was performed to measure the fusion excitation functions for 19 O +12 C and 18 O +12 C . Using the 18O(d,p) reaction and the RESOLUT mass spectrometer at Florida State University, a beam of 19O was produced with an intensity of 2-4 x 103 p/s. This beam bombarded a 100 μg/cm2 carbon target. Using an approach optimized for the measurement of fusion with a low-intensity beam, evaporation residues (ERs) resulting from the de-excitation of the fusion product were measured. The ERs were identified by measuring their energy and time-of-flight. At near-barrier energies, an enhancement of fusion by a factor of three has been observed for 19 O +12 C in comparison to 18 O +12 C . Comparison of the experimental results with the predictions of a density constrained time-dependent Hartree-Fock (DC-TDHF) model provide evidence for the importance of pairing in the fusion process. Supported by the US DOE under Grant No. DEFG02-88ER-40404.

Medium-β free-boundary equilibria of a quasi-isodynamic stellarator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mikhailov, M. I.; Drevlak, M.; Nührenberg, J.; Shafranov, V. D.

2012-06-01

Free-boundary MHD equilibria with magnetic surfaces in the vacuum region surrounding the plasma [E. Strumberger, Nucl. Fusion 37, 19 (1997); M. Drevlak, D. Monticello, and A. Reiman, Nucl. Fusion 45, 731 (2005)] are obtained for a quasi-isodynamic stellarator [A. A. Subbotin, M. I. Mikhailov, V. D. Shafranov et al., Nucl. Fusion 46, 921 (2006); M. I. Mikhailov, J. Nuhrenberg, and V. D. Shafranov, Plasma Phys. Rep. 35, 529 (2009)].

Medium-{beta} free-boundary equilibria of a quasi-isodynamic stellarator

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mikhailov, M. I.; Drevlak, M.; Nuehrenberg, J.

Free-boundary MHD equilibria with magnetic surfaces in the vacuum region surrounding the plasma [E. Strumberger, Nucl. Fusion 37, 19 (1997); M. Drevlak, D. Monticello, and A. Reiman, Nucl. Fusion 45, 731 (2005)] are obtained for a quasi-isodynamic stellarator [A. A. Subbotin, M. I. Mikhailov, V. D. Shafranov et al., Nucl. Fusion 46, 921 (2006); M. I. Mikhailov, J. Nuhrenberg, and V. D. Shafranov, Plasma Phys. Rep. 35, 529 (2009)].

Neutron capture reactions in astrophysics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Käppeler, F.

1985-01-01

About 2/3 of the chemical elements in nature were formed in neutron capture reactions. During the life of a star there are certain evolutionary stages where neutrons are available to build up the elements beyond iron which cannot be synthesized by charged particle reactions. The observed abundance pattern allows to distinguish a rapid and a slow neutron capture process (r- and s-process). The r-process taking place far from the valley of stability is difficult to investigate because of the required extrapolation of nuclear properties to extreme neutron rich nuclei. The s-process, on the other hand, proceeds along the valley of stability. Therefore, the involved isotopes are accessible to laboratory measurements. This information allows for quantitative calculation of s-process abundances and other parameters which represent constraints for stellar models. Two examples are outlined: (i) the s-process branching at A=147, 148 yields a rather accurate value for the neutron density. (ii) Comparison of s-process abundances with observations of stellar atmospheres are particularly interesting for the unstable isotopes 93Zr, 99Tc and 147Pm. Their deficiency with respect to stable neighbors may yield estimates for the transport time from the stellar interior to the surface.

Neutron tori around Kerr black holes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Witt, H. J.; Jaroszynski, M.; Haensel, P.; Paczynski, B.; Wambsganss, J.

1994-01-01

Models of stationary, axisymmetric, non-self-gravitating tori around stellar mass Kerr black holes are calculated. Such objects may form as a result of a merger between two neutron stars, a neutron star and a stellar mass black hole, or a 'failed supernova' collapse of a single rapidly rotating star. We explore a large range of parameters: the black hole mass and angular momentum, the torus mass, angular momentum and entropy. Physical conditions within the tori are similar to those in young and hot neutron stars, but their topology is different, and the range of masses and energies is much larger.

Accelerators for Fusion Materials Testing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knaster, Juan; Okumura, Yoshikazu

Fusion materials research is a worldwide endeavor as old as the parallel one working toward the long term stable confinement of ignited plasma. In a fusion reactor, the preservation of the required minimum thermomechanical properties of the in-vessel components exposed to the severe irradiation and heat flux conditions is an indispensable factor for safe operation; it is also an essential goal for the economic viability of fusion. Energy from fusion power will be extracted from the 14 MeV neutron freed as a product of the deuterium-tritium fusion reactions; thus, this kinetic energy must be absorbed and efficiently evacuated and electricity eventually generated by the conventional methods of a thermal power plant. Worldwide technological efforts to understand the degradation of materials exposed to 14 MeV neutron fluxes >1018 m-2s-1, as expected in future fusion power plants, have been intense over the last four decades. Existing neutron sources can reach suitable dpa (“displacement-per-atom”, the figure of merit to assess materials degradation from being exposed to neutron irradiation), but the differences in the neutron spectrum of fission reactors and spallation sources do not allow one to unravel the physics and to anticipate the degradation of materials exposed to fusion neutrons. Fusion irradiation conditions can be achieved through Li (d, xn) nuclear reactions with suitable deuteron beam current and energy, and an adequate flowing lithium screen. This idea triggered in the late 1970s at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) a campaign working toward the feasibility of continuous wave (CW) high current linacs framed by the Fusion Materials Irradiation Test (FMIT) project. These efforts continued with the Low Energy Demonstrating Accelerator (LEDA) (a validating prototype of the canceled Accelerator Production of Tritium (APT) project), which was proposed in 2002 to the fusion community as a 6.7MeV, 100mA CW beam injector for a Li (d, xn) source to bridge

Accelerators for Fusion Materials Testing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knaster, Juan; Okumura, Yoshikazu

Fusion materials research is a worldwide endeavor as old as the parallel one working toward the long term stable confinement of ignited plasma. In a fusion reactor, the preservation of the required minimum thermomechanical properties of the in-vessel components exposed to the severe irradiation and heat flux conditions is an indispensable factor for safe operation; it is also an essential goal for the economic viability of fusion. Energy from fusion power will be extracted from the 14 MeV neutron freed as a product of the deuterium-tritium fusion reactions; thus, this kinetic energy must be absorbed and efficiently evacuated and electricity eventually generated by the conventional methods of a thermal power plant. Worldwide technological efforts to understand the degradation of materials exposed to 14 MeV neutron fluxes > 1018 m-2s-1, as expected in future fusion power plants, have been intense over the last four decades. Existing neutron sources can reach suitable dpa ("displacement-per-atom", the figure of merit to assess materials degradation from being exposed to neutron irradiation), but the differences in the neutron spectrum of fission reactors and spallation sources do not allow one to unravel the physics and to anticipate the degradation of materials exposed to fusion neutrons. Fusion irradiation conditions can be achieved through Li (d, xn) nuclear reactions with suitable deuteron beam current and energy, and an adequate flowing lithium screen. This idea triggered in the late 1970s at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) a campaign working toward the feasibility of continuous wave (CW) high current linacs framed by the Fusion Materials Irradiation Test (FMIT) project. These efforts continued with the Low Energy Demonstrating Accelerator (LEDA) (a validating prototype of the canceled Accelerator Production of Tritium (APT) project), which was proposed in 2002 to the fusion community as a 6.7MeV, 100mA CW beam injector for a Li (d, xn) source to bridge

Neutron star evolution and emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Epstein, R. I.; Edwards, B. C.; Haines, T. J.

1997-01-01

This is the final report of a three-year, Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) project at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The authors investigated the evolution and radiation characteristics of individual neutron stars and stellar systems. The work concentrated on phenomena where new techniques and observations are dramatically enlarging the understanding of stellar phenomena. Part of this project was a study of x-ray and gamma-ray emission from neutron stars and other compact objects. This effort included calculating the thermal x-ray emission from young neutron stars, deriving the radio and gamma-ray emission from active pulsars and modeling intense gamma-ray bursts in distant galaxies. They also measured periodic optical and infrared fluctuations from rotating neutron stars and search for high-energy TeV gamma rays from discrete celestial sources.

Advancing the understanding of plasma transport in mid-size stellarators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hidalgo, Carlos; Talmadge, Joseph; Ramisch, Mirko; TJ-II, the; HXS; TJ-K Teams

2017-01-01

The tokamak and the stellarator are the two main candidate concepts for magnetically confining fusion plasmas. The flexibility of the mid-size stellarator devices together with their unique diagnostic capabilities make them ideally suited to study the relation between magnetic topology, electric fields and transport. This paper addresses advances in the understanding of plasma transport in mid-size stellarators with an emphasis on the physics of flows, transport control, impurity and particle transport and fast particles. The results described here emphasize an improved physics understanding of phenomena in stellarators that complements the empirical approach. Experiments in mid-size stellarators support the development of advanced plasma scenarios in Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) and, in concert with better physics understanding in tokamaks, may ultimately lead to an advance in the prediction of burning plasma behaviour.

Experimental study of fusion neutron and proton yields produced by petawatt-laser-irradiated D₂-³He or CD₄-³He clustering gases.

PubMed

Bang, W; Barbui, M; Bonasera, A; Quevedo, H J; Dyer, G; Bernstein, A C; Hagel, K; Schmidt, K; Gaul, E; Donovan, M E; Consoli, F; De Angelis, R; Andreoli, P; Barbarino, M; Kimura, S; Mazzocco, M; Natowitz, J B; Ditmire, T

2013-09-01

We report on experiments in which the Texas Petawatt laser irradiated a mixture of deuterium or deuterated methane clusters and helium-3 gas, generating three types of nuclear fusion reactions: D(d,^{3}He)n, D(d,t)p, and ^{3}He(d,p)^{4}He. We measured the yields of fusion neutrons and protons from these reactions and found them to agree with yields based on a simple cylindrical plasma model using known cross sections and measured plasma parameters. Within our measurement errors, the fusion products were isotropically distributed. Plasma temperatures, important for the cross sections, were determined by two independent methods: (1) deuterium ion time of flight and (2) utilizing the ratio of neutron yield to proton yield from D(d,^{3}He)n and ^{3}He(d,p)^{4}He reactions, respectively. This experiment produced the highest ion temperature ever achieved with laser-irradiated deuterium clusters.

Color superconductivity in compact stellar hybrid configurations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ranea-Sandoval, Ignacio F.; Orsaria, Milva G.; Han, Sophia; Weber, Fridolin; Spinella, William M.

2017-12-01

The discovery of pulsars PSR J1614-2230 and PSR J0348+0432 with masses of around 2 M⊙ imposes strong constraints on the equations of state of cold, ultradense matter. If a phase transition from hadronic matter to quark matter were to occur in the inner cores of such massive neutron stars, the energetically favorable state of quark matter would be a color superconductor. In this study, we analyze the stability and maximum mass of such neutron stars. The hadronic phase is described by nonlinear relativistic mean-field models, and the local Nambu-Jona Lasinio model is used to describe quark matter in the 2SC+s quark phase. The phase transition is treated as a Maxwell transition, assuming a sharp hadron-quark interface, and the "constant-sound-speed" (CSS) parametrization is employed to discuss the existence of stellar twin configurations. We find that massive neutron stars such as J1614-2230 and J0348+0432 can only exist on the connected stellar branch but not on the disconnected twin-star branch. The latter can only support stars with masses that are strictly below 2 M⊙ .

Theoretical models for stellar X-ray polarization in compact objects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meszaros, P.

1991-01-01

Degenerate stellar objects are expected to be strong sources of polarized X-ray emission. This is particularly true for strongly magnetized neutron stars, e.g. accretion or rotation powered pulsars, and gamma ray bursters. In these, linear polarization degrees well in excess of 30 percent are expected. Weaker magnetic field stellar sources, such as old neutron stars in low mass binary systems, white dwarfs and black holes are expected to have polarization degrees in the range 1-3 percent. A great interest attaches to the detection of polarization in these objects, since this would provide invaluable information concerning the geometry, radiation mechanism and magnetic field strength, necessary for testing and proving models of the structure and evolution of stars in their late stages. In this paper we review the theoretical models of the production of polarized radiation in compact stellar X-ray sources, and discuss the possibility of detecting these properties using currently planned detectors to be flown in space.

Active Neutron-Based Interrogation System with D-D Neutron Source for Detection of Special Nuclear Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takahashi, Y.; Misawa, T.; Yagi, T.; Pyeon, C. H.; Kimura, M.; Masuda, K.; Ohgaki, H.

2015-10-01

The detection of special nuclear materials (SNM) is an important issue for nuclear security. The interrogation systems used in a sea port and an airport are developed in the world. The active neutron-based interrogation system is the one of the candidates. We are developing the active neutron-based interrogation system with a D-D fusion neutron source for the nuclear security application. The D-D neutron source is a compact discharge-type fusion neutron source called IEC (Inertial-Electrostatic Confinement fusion) device which provides 2.45 MeV neutrons. The nuclear materials emit the highenergy neutrons by fission reaction. High-energy neutrons with energies over 2.45 MeV amount to 30% of all the fission neutrons. By using the D-D neutron source, the detection of SNMs is considered to be possible with the attention of fast neutrons if there is over 2.45 MeV. Ideally, neutrons at En>2.45 MeV do not exist if there is no nuclear materials. The detection of fission neutrons over 2.45 MeV are hopeful prospect for the detection of SNM with a high S/N ratio. In the future, the experiments combined with nuclear materials and a D-D neutron source will be conducted. Furthermore, the interrogation system will be numerically investigated by using nuclear materials, a D-D neutron source, and a steel container.

Dynamic collapses of relativistic degenerate stellar cores and radiation pressure dominated stellar interiors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Chun-Hui; Lou, Yu-Qing

2018-04-01

We investigate and explore self-similar dynamic radial collapses of relativistic degenerate stellar cores (RDSCs) and radiation pressure dominated stellar interiors (RPDSIs) of spherical symmetry by invoking a conventional polytropic (CP) equation of state (EoS) with a constant polytropic index γ = 4 / 3 and by allowing free-fall non-zero RDSC or RPDSI surface mass density and pressure due to their sustained physical contact with the outer surrounding stellar envelopes also in contraction. Irrespective of the physical triggering mechanisms (including, e.g., photodissociation, electron-positron pair instability, general relativistic instability etc.) for initiating such a self-similar dynamically collapsing RDSC or RPDSI embedded within a massive star, a very massive star (VMS) or a supermassive star (SMS) in contraction and by comparing with the Schwarzschild radii associated with their corresponding RDSC/RPDSI masses, the emergence of central black holes in a wide mass range appears inevitable during such RDSC/RPDSI dynamic collapses inside massive stars, VMSs, and SMSs, respectively. Radial pulsations of progenitor cores or during a stellar core collapse may well leave imprints onto collapsing RDSCs/RPDSIs towards their self-similar dynamic evolution. Massive neutron stars may form during dynamic collapses of RDSC inside massive stars in contraction under proper conditions.

Assessment of radiation shield integrity of DD/DT fusion neutron generator facilities by Monte Carlo and experimental methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Srinivasan, P.; Priya, S.; Patel, Tarun; Gopalakrishnan, R. K.; Sharma, D. N.

2015-01-01

DD/DT fusion neutron generators are used as sources of 2.5 MeV/14.1 MeV neutrons in experimental laboratories for various applications. Detailed knowledge of the radiation dose rates around the neutron generators are essential for ensuring radiological protection of the personnel involved with the operation. This work describes the experimental and Monte Carlo studies carried out in the Purnima Neutron Generator facility of the Bhabha Atomic Research Center (BARC), Mumbai. Verification and validation of the shielding adequacy was carried out by measuring the neutron and gamma dose-rates at various locations inside and outside the neutron generator hall during different operational conditions both for 2.5-MeV and 14.1-MeV neutrons and comparing with theoretical simulations. The calculated and experimental dose rates were found to agree with a maximum deviation of 20% at certain locations. This study has served in benchmarking the Monte Carlo simulation methods adopted for shield design of such facilities. This has also helped in augmenting the existing shield thickness to reduce the neutron and associated gamma dose rates for radiological protection of personnel during operation of the generators at higher source neutron yields up to 1 × 1010 n/s.

Resistive edge mode instability in stellarator and tokamak geometries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahmood, M. Ansar; Rafiq, T.; Persson, M.; Weiland, J.

2008-09-01

Geometrical effects on linear stability of electrostatic resistive edge modes are investigated in the three-dimensional Wendelstein 7-X stellarator [G. Grieger et al., Plasma Physics and Controlled Nuclear Fusion Research 1990 (International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, 1991), Vol. 3, p. 525] and the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor [Progress in the ITER Physics Basis, Nucl. Fusion 7, S1, S285 (2007)]-like equilibria. An advanced fluid model is used for the ions together with the reduced Braghinskii equations for the electrons. Using the ballooning mode representation, the drift wave problem is set as an eigenvalue equation along a field line and is solved numerically using a standard shooting technique. A significantly larger magnetic shear and a less unfavorable normal curvature in the tokamak equilibrium are found to give a stronger finite-Larmor radius stabilization and a more narrow mode spectrum than in the stellarator. The effect of negative global magnetic shear in the tokamak is found to be stabilizing. The growth rate on a tokamak magnetic flux surface is found to be comparable to that on a stellarator surface with the same global magnetic shear but the eigenfunction in the tokamak is broader than in the stellarator due to the presence of large negative local magnetic shear (LMS) on the tokamak surface. A large absolute value of the LMS in a region of unfavorable normal curvature is found to be stabilizing in the stellarator, while in the tokamak case, negative LMS is found to be stabilizing and positive LMS destabilizing.

Systematic study of the isotopic dependence of fusion dynamics for neutron- and proton-rich nuclei using a proximity formalism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghodsi, O. N.; Gharaei, R.; Lari, F.

2012-08-01

The behaviors of barrier characteristics and fusion cross sections are analyzed by changing neutrons over a wide range of colliding systems. For this purpose, we have extended our previous study [Ghodsi and Gharaei, Eur. Phys. J. AEPJAFV1434-600110.1140/epja/i2012-12021-x 48, 21 (2012), it is devoted to the colliding systems with neutron-rich nuclei] to 125 isotopic systems with the condition of 0.5⩽N/Z⩽1.6 for their compound nuclei. The AW 95, Bass 80, Denisov DP, and Prox. 2010 potentials are used to calculate the nuclear part of the interacting potential. The obtained results show that the trend of barrier heights VB and positions RB as well as nuclear VN and Coulomb VC potentials (at R=RB) as a function of (N/Z-1) quantity are nonlinear (second order) whereas the fusion cross sections follow a linear dependence.

Fusion gamma diagnostics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Medley, S. S.; Cecil, F. E.; Cole, D.; Conway, M. A.; Wilkinson, F. J., III

1985-05-01

Nuclear reactions of interest in fusion research often possess a branch yielding prompt emission of gamma radiation in excess of 15 MeV which can be exploited to provide a new fusion reaction diagnostic having applications similar to conventional neutron emission measurements. Conceptual aspects of fusion gamma diagnostics are discussed with emphasis on application to the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) during deuterium neutral beam heating of D-T and D-3He plasmas. Recent measurements of the D (T, γ)5He, D(3He, γ)5Li, and D(D, γ)4He branching ratios at low center-of-mass energy (30-100 keV) and of the response of a large volume Ne226 detector for gamma detection in high neutron backgrounds are presented. Using a well-shielded Ne226 detector during 20 MW-120 kV deuterium beam heating of a tritium plasma in TFTR, the D(T, γ)5He gamma signal level is estimated to be 3.5×105 cps.

A neutron activation spectrometer and neutronic experimental platform for the National Ignition Facility (invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeamans, C. B.; Gharibyan, N.

2016-11-01

At the National Ignition Facility, the diagnostic instrument manipulator-based neutron activation spectrometer is used as a diagnostic of implosion performance for inertial confinement fusion experiments. Additionally, it serves as a platform for independent neutronic experiments and may be connected to fast recording systems for neutron effect tests on active electronics. As an implosion diagnostic, the neutron activation spectrometers are used to quantify fluence of primary DT neutrons, downscattered neutrons, and neutrons above the primary DT neutron energy created by reactions of upscattered D and T in flight. At a primary neutron yield of 1015 and a downscattered fraction of neutrons in the 10-12 MeV energy range of 0.04, the downscattered neutron fraction can be measured to a relative uncertainty of 8%. Significant asymmetries in downscattered neutrons have been observed. Spectrometers have been designed and fielded to measure the tritium-tritium and deuterium-tritium neutron outputs simultaneously in experiments using DT/TT fusion ratio as a direct measure of mix of ablator into the gas.

A neutron activation spectrometer and neutronic experimental platform for the National Ignition Facility (invited).

PubMed

Yeamans, C B; Gharibyan, N

2016-11-01

At the National Ignition Facility, the diagnostic instrument manipulator-based neutron activation spectrometer is used as a diagnostic of implosion performance for inertial confinement fusion experiments. Additionally, it serves as a platform for independent neutronic experiments and may be connected to fast recording systems for neutron effect tests on active electronics. As an implosion diagnostic, the neutron activation spectrometers are used to quantify fluence of primary DT neutrons, downscattered neutrons, and neutrons above the primary DT neutron energy created by reactions of upscattered D and T in flight. At a primary neutron yield of 10 15 and a downscattered fraction of neutrons in the 10-12 MeV energy range of 0.04, the downscattered neutron fraction can be measured to a relative uncertainty of 8%. Significant asymmetries in downscattered neutrons have been observed. Spectrometers have been designed and fielded to measure the tritium-tritium and deuterium-tritium neutron outputs simultaneously in experiments using DT/TT fusion ratio as a direct measure of mix of ablator into the gas.

Control of a laser inertial confinement fusion-fission power plant

DOEpatents

Moses, Edward I.; Latkowski, Jeffery F.; Kramer, Kevin J.

2015-10-27

A laser inertial-confinement fusion-fission energy power plant is described. The fusion-fission hybrid system uses inertial confinement fusion to produce neutrons from a fusion reaction of deuterium and tritium. The fusion neutrons drive a sub-critical blanket of fissile or fertile fuel. A coolant circulated through the fuel extracts heat from the fuel that is used to generate electricity. The inertial confinement fusion reaction can be implemented using central hot spot or fast ignition fusion, and direct or indirect drive. The fusion neutrons result in ultra-deep burn-up of the fuel in the fission blanket, thus enabling the burning of nuclear waste. Fuels include depleted uranium, natural uranium, enriched uranium, spent nuclear fuel, thorium, and weapons grade plutonium. LIFE engines can meet worldwide electricity needs in a safe and sustainable manner, while drastically shrinking the highly undesirable stockpiles of depleted uranium, spent nuclear fuel and excess weapons materials.

Diagnosing magnetized liner inertial fusion experiments on Z

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hansen, Stephanie B.; Gomez, Matthew R.; Sefkow, Adam B.

The Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion experiments performed at Sandia's Z facility have demonstrated significant thermonuclear fusion neutron yields (~10 12 DD neutrons) from multi-keV deuterium plasmasinertially confined by slow (~10 cm/μs), stable, cylindrical implosions. Moreover, effective magnetic confinement of charged fusion reactants and products is signaled by high secondary DT neutron yields above 10 10. Further analysis of extensive power, imaging, and spectroscopicx-ray measurements provides a detailed picture of ~3 keV temperatures, 0.3 g/cm 3 densities, gradients, and mix in the fuel and liner over the 1–2 ns stagnation duration.

Diagnosing magnetized liner inertial fusion experiments on Z

DOE PAGES

Hansen, Stephanie B.; Gomez, Matthew R.; Sefkow, Adam B.; ...

2015-05-14

The Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion experiments performed at Sandia's Z facility have demonstrated significant thermonuclear fusion neutron yields (~10 12 DD neutrons) from multi-keV deuterium plasmasinertially confined by slow (~10 cm/μs), stable, cylindrical implosions. Moreover, effective magnetic confinement of charged fusion reactants and products is signaled by high secondary DT neutron yields above 10 10. Further analysis of extensive power, imaging, and spectroscopicx-ray measurements provides a detailed picture of ~3 keV temperatures, 0.3 g/cm 3 densities, gradients, and mix in the fuel and liner over the 1–2 ns stagnation duration.

Sao Paulo potential as a tool for calculating S factors of fusion reactions in dense stellar matter

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gasques, L. R.; Beard, M.; Wiescher, M.

2007-10-15

The goal of this paper is to test and justify the use of the Sao Paulo potential model for calculating astrophysical S factors for reactions involving stable and neutron-rich nuclei. In particular, we focus on the theoretical description of S factors at low energies. This is important for evaluating the reaction rates in dense stellar matter. We calculate the S factors for a number of reactions ({sup 16}O+{sup 16}O, {sup 20}O+{sup 20}O, {sup 20}O+{sup 26}Ne, {sup 20}O+{sup 32}Mg, {sup 26}Ne+{sup 26}Ne, {sup 26}Ne+{sup 32}Mg, {sup 32}Mg+{sup 32}Mg, {sup 22}O+{sup 22}O, {sup 24}O+{sup 24}O) with the Sao Paulo potential in themore » framework of a one-dimensional barrier penetration model. This approach can be easily applied for many other reactions involving different isotopes. To test the consistency of the model predictions, we compare our calculations with those performed within the coupled-channels and fermionic molecular dynamics models. Calculated S factors are parametrized by a simple analytic formula. The main properties and uncertainties of reaction rates (appropriate to dense matter in cores of massive white dwarfs and crusts of accreting neutron stars) are outlined.« less

Ultrafast neutron detector

DOEpatents

Wang, C.L.

1985-06-19

A neutron detector of very high temporal resolution is described. It may be used to measure distributions of neutrons produced by fusion reactions that persist for times as short as about 50 picoseconds.

Note: Coincidence measurements of 3He and neutrons from a compact D-D neutron generator.

PubMed

Ji, Q; Lin, C-J; Tindall, C; Garcia-Sciveres, M; Schenkel, T; Ludewigt, B A

2017-05-01

Tagging of neutrons (2.45 MeV) with their associated 3 He particles from deuterium-deuterium (D-D) fusion reactions has been demonstrated in a compact neutron generator setup enabled by a high brightness, microwave-driven ion source with a high fraction of deuterons. Energy spectra with well separated peaks of the D-D fusion reaction products, 3 He, tritons, and protons, were measured with a silicon PIN diode. The neutrons were detected using a liquid scintillator detector with pulse shape discrimination. By correlating the 3 He detection events with the neutron detection in time, we demonstrated the tagging of emitted neutrons with 3 He particles detected with a Si PIN diode detector mounted inside the neutron generator vacuum vessel.

Optimization of the current potential for stellarator coils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boozer, Allen H.

2000-02-01

Stellarator plasma confinement devices have no continuous symmetries, which makes the design of appropriate coils far more subtle than for axisymmetric devices such as tokamaks. The modern method for designing coils for stellarators was developed by Peter Merkel [P. Merkel, Nucl. Fusion 27, 867 (1987)]. Although his method has yielded a number of successful stellarator designs, Merkel's method has a systematic tendency to give coils with a larger current than that required to produce a stellarator plasma with certain properties. In addition, Merkel's method does not naturally lead to a coil set with the flexibility to produce a number of interesting plasma configurations. The issues of coil efficiency and flexibility are addressed in this paper by a new method of optimizing the current potential, the first step in Merkel's method. The new method also allows the coil design to be based on a freer choice for the plasma-coil separation and to be constrained so space is preserved for plasma access.

Propagation of nuclear data uncertainties for fusion power measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sjöstrand, Henrik; Conroy, Sean; Helgesson, Petter; Hernandez, Solis Augusto; Koning, Arjan; Pomp, Stephan; Rochman, Dimitri

2017-09-01

Neutron measurements using neutron activation systems are an essential part of the diagnostic system at large fusion machines such as JET and ITER. Nuclear data is used to infer the neutron yield. Consequently, high-quality nuclear data is essential for the proper determination of the neutron yield and fusion power. However, uncertainties due to nuclear data are not fully taken into account in uncertainty analysis for neutron yield calibrations using activation foils. This paper investigates the neutron yield uncertainty due to nuclear data using the so-called Total Monte Carlo Method. The work is performed using a detailed MCNP model of the JET fusion machine; the uncertainties due to the cross-sections and angular distributions in JET structural materials, as well as the activation cross-sections in the activation foils, are analysed. It is found that a significant contribution to the neutron yield uncertainty can come from uncertainties in the nuclear data.

Neoclassical impurity transport in stellarator geometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

García-Regaña, J. M.; Beidler, C. D.; Kleiber, R.; Turkin, Y.; Maaßberg, H.; Helander, P.; Kauffmann, K.

2012-03-01

The appearance of a (neoclassical) inward radial electric field in stellarators is known to cause, under certain plasma conditions, the accumulation of impurities in the core, and sometimes the subsequent plasma radiative collapse. Quantitatively neoclassical theory has barely covered the impurity transport due to the conventional neglect of the assumed first order electrostatic potential and density, φ1 and n1 respectively, in the drift kinetic ordering. This practice, which ignores the fulfilment of the quasi-neutrality condition, carries intrinsically the assumption Z|e|φ1/kBT1, with Z the atomic number, |e| the unit charge, kB the Boltzmann constant and T the temperature. This inequality, valid for the bulk plasma, is violated by high Z impurities. In this work the δf PIC Monte Carlo code EUTERPE [1] together with the GSRAKE code [2] are used to obtain the first numerical output of neoclassical impurity dynamics retaining φ1 and n1 in the drift kinetic equation. The case of the LHD stellarator is considered.[4pt] [1] V. Kornilov et al, Nucl. Fusion 45 238, 2005.[0pt] [2] D. Beidler and W. D. D'haeseleer, Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 37 463, 1995.

Modulating the Neutron Flux from a Mirror Neutron Source

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ryutov, D D

2011-09-01

A 14-MeV neutron source based on a Gas-Dynamic Trap will provide a high flux of 14 MeV neutrons for fusion materials and sub-component testing. In addition to its main goal, the source has potential applications in condensed matter physics and biophysics. In this report, the author considers adding one more capability to the GDT-based neutron source, the modulation of the neutron flux with a desired frequency. The modulation may be an enabling tool for the assessment of the role of non-steady-state effects in fusion devices as well as for high-precision, low-signal basic science experiments favoring the use of the synchronousmore » detection technique. A conclusion is drawn that modulation frequency of up to 1 kHz and modulation amplitude of a few percent is achievable. Limitations on the amplitude of modulations at higher frequencies are discussed.« less

The formation of stellar black holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mirabel, Félix

2017-08-01

It is believed that stellar black holes (BHs) can be formed in two different ways: Either a massive star collapses directly into a BH without a supernova (SN) explosion, or an explosion occurs in a proto-neutron star, but the energy is too low to completely unbind the stellar envelope, and a large fraction of it falls back onto the short-lived neutron star (NS), leading to the delayed formation of a BH. Theoretical models set progenitor masses for BH formation by implosion, namely, by complete or almost complete collapse, but observational evidences have been elusive. Here are reviewed the observational insights on BHs formed by implosion without large natal kicks from: (1) the kinematics in three dimensions of space of five Galactic BH X-ray binaries (BH-XRBs), (2) the diversity of optical and infrared observations of massive stars that collapse in the dark, with no luminous SN explosions, possibly leading to the formation of BHs, and (3) the sources of gravitational waves (GWs) produced by mergers of stellar BHs so far detected with LIGO. Multiple indications of BH formation without ejection of a significant amount of matter and with no natal kicks obtained from these different areas of observational astrophysics, and the recent observational confirmation of the expected dependence of BH formation on metallicity and redshift, are qualitatively consistent with the high merger rates of binary black holes (BBHs) inferred from the first detections with LIGO.

Structure Of Neutron-Rich Nuclei In A˜100 Region Observed In Fusion-Fission Reactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, C. Y.; Hua, H.; Cline, D.; Hayes, A. B.; Teng, R.; Clark, R. M.; Fallon, P.; Görgen, A.; Macchiavelli, A. O.; Vetter, K.

2003-03-01

Neutron-rich nuclei around A˜100 were populated as fission fragments produced by the 238U(α,f) fusion-fission reaction. The deexcitation γ rays were detected by Gammasphere in coincidence with the detection of both fission fragments by the Rochester 4π heavy-ion detector array, CHICO. This technique allows Doppler-shift corrections to be applied for the observed γ rays on an event-by-event basis thus establishing the origin of γ rays from either fission fragment. In addition, it allows observation of γ-ray transitions from states with short lifetimes and offers the opportunity to study nuclear species beyond the reach of the spontaneous fission process. With these advantages, one can extend the spectroscopic study to higher spins than those derived using the thick-target technique, and to more neutron-rich nuclei than those derived from spontaneous fissions. Among the new and interesting phenomena identified in this rapid shape-changing region, the most distinct result is the evidence for a prolate-to-oblate shape transition occurring at 116Pd, which may have important implications to our understanding of the shell structure for neutron-rich nuclei.

Minimizing stellarator turbulent transport by geometric optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mynick, H. E.

2010-11-01

Up to now, a transport optimized stellarator has meant one optimized to minimize neoclassical transport,ootnotetextH.E. Mynick, Phys. Plasmas 13, 058102 (2006). while the task of also mitigating turbulent transport, usually the dominant transport channel in such designs, has not been addressed, due to the complexity of plasma turbulence in stellarators. However, with the advent of gyrokinetic codes valid for 3D geometries such as GENE,ootnotetextF. Jenko, W. Dorland, M. Kotschenreuther, B.N. Rogers, Phys. Plasmas 7, 1904 (2000). and stellarator optimization codes such as STELLOPT,ootnotetextA. Reiman, G. Fu, S. Hirshman, L. Ku, et al, Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 41 B273 (1999). designing stellarators to also reduce turbulent transport has become a realistic possibility. We have been using GENE to characterize the dependence of turbulent transport on stellarator geometry,ootnotetextH.E Mynick, P.A. Xanthopoulos, A.H. Boozer, Phys.Plasmas 16 110702 (2009). and to identify key geometric quantities which control the transport level. From the information obtained from these GENE studies, we are developing proxy functions which approximate the level of turbulent transport one may expect in a machine of a given geometry, and have extended STELLOPT to use these in its cost function, obtaining stellarator configurations with turbulent transport levels substantially lower than those in the original designs.

Fusion breeder

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moir, R.W.

1982-02-22

The fusion breeder is a fusion reactor designed with special blankets to maximize the transmutation by 14 MeV neutrons of uranium-238 to plutonium or thorium to uranium-233 for use as a fuel for fission reactors. Breeding fissile fuels has not been a goal of the US fusion energy program. This paper suggests it is time for a policy change to make the fusion breeder a goal of the US fusion program and the US nuclear energy program. The purpose of this paper is to suggest this policy change be made and tell why it should be made, and to outlinemore » specific research and development goals so that the fusion breeder will be developed in time to meet fissile fuel needs.« less

Fusion breeder

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moir, R.W.

1982-04-20

The fusion breeder is a fusion reactor designed with special blankets to maximize the transmutation by 14 MeV neutrons of uranium-238 to plutonium or thorium to uranium-233 for use as a fuel for fission reactors. Breeding fissile fuels has not been a goal of the US fusion energy program. This paper suggests it is time for a policy change to make the fusion breeder a goal of the US fusion program and the US nuclear energy program. The purpose of this paper is to suggest this policy change be made and tell why it should be made, and to outlinemore » specific research and development goals so that the fusion breeder will be developed in time to meet fissile fuel needs.« less

Diagnosing magnetized liner inertial fusion experiments on Z

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hansen, S. B., E-mail: sbhanse@sandia.gov; Gomez, M. R.; Sefkow, A. B.

Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion experiments performed at Sandia's Z facility have demonstrated significant thermonuclear fusion neutron yields (∼10{sup 12} DD neutrons) from multi-keV deuterium plasmas inertially confined by slow (∼10 cm/μs), stable, cylindrical implosions. Effective magnetic confinement of charged fusion reactants and products is signaled by high secondary DT neutron yields above 10{sup 10}. Analysis of extensive power, imaging, and spectroscopic x-ray measurements provides a detailed picture of ∼3 keV temperatures, 0.3 g/cm{sup 3} densities, gradients, and mix in the fuel and liner over the 1–2 ns stagnation duration.

Characterizing the Chemistry of the Milky Way Stellar Halo: Detailed Chemical Analysis of a Metal-poor Stellar Stream

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roederer, Ian U.; Sneden, Christopher; Thompson, Ian B.; Preston, George W.; Shectman, Stephen A.

2010-03-01

We present the results of a detailed abundance analysis of one of the confirmed building blocks of the Milky Way stellar halo, a kinematically coherent metal-poor stellar stream. We have obtained high-resolution and high signal-to-noise spectra of 12 probable stream members using the Magellan Inamori Kyocera Echelle spectrograph on the Magellan-Clay Telescope at Las Campanas Observatory and the 2dCoude spectrograph on the Smith Telescope at McDonald Observatory. We have derived abundances or upper limits for 51 species of 46 elements in each of these stars. The stream members show a range of metallicity (-3.4 < [Fe/H] <-1.5) but are otherwise chemically homogeneous, with the same star-to-star dispersion in [X/Fe] as the rest of the halo. This implies that, in principle, a significant fraction of the Milky Way stellar halo could have formed from accreted systems like the stream. The stream stars show minimal evolution in the α or Fe-group elements over the range of metallicity. This stream is enriched with material produced by the main and weak components of the rapid neutron-capture process and shows no evidence for enrichment by the slow neutron-capture process. This paper includes data gathered with the 6.5 m Magellan Telescopes located at Las Campanas Observatory, Chile. This paper includes data taken at The McDonald Observatory of the University of Texas at Austin.

Towards a programme of testing and qualification for structural and plasma-facing materials in ‘fusion neutron’ environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stork, D.; Heidinger, R.; Muroga, T.; Zinkle, S. J.; Moeslang, A.; Porton, M.; Boutard, J.-L.; Gonzalez, S.; Ibarra, A.

2017-09-01

Materials damage by 14.1MeV neutrons from deuterium-tritium (D-T) fusion reactions can only be characterised definitively by subjecting a relevant configuration of test materials to high-intensity ‘fusion-neutron spectrum sources’, i.e. those simulating closely D-T fusion-neutron spectra. This provides major challenges to programmes to design and construct a demonstration fusion reactor prior to having a large-scale, high-intensity source of such neutrons. In this paper, we discuss the different aspects related to these ‘relevant configuration’ tests, including: • generic issues in materials qualification/validation, comparing safety requirements against those of investment protection; • lessons learned from the fission programme, enabling a reduced fusion materials testing programme; • the use and limitations of presently available possible irradiation sources to optimise a fusion neutron testing program including fission-neutron irradiation of isotopically and chemically tailored steels, ion damage by high-energy helium ions and self-ion beams, or irradiation studies with neutron sources of non-fusion spectra; and • the different potential sources of simulated fusion neutron spectra and the choice using stripping reactions from deuterium-beam ions incident on light-element targets.

Simultaneous neutron and x-ray imaging of inertial confinement fusion experiments along a single line of sight at Omega

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Danly, C. R.; Day, T. H.; Fittinghoff, D. N.

Neutron and x-ray imaging provide critical information about the geometry and hydrodynamics of inertial confinement fusion implosions. However, existing diagnostics at Omega and the National Ignition Facility (NIF) cannot produce images in both neutrons and x-rays along the same line of sight. This leads to difficulty comparing these images, which capture different parts of the plasma geometry, for the asymmetric implosions seen in present experiments. Further, even when opposing port neutron and x-ray images are available, they use different detectors and cannot provide positive information about the relative positions of the neutron and x-ray sources. A technique has been demonstratedmore » on implosions at Omega that can capture x-ray images along the same line of sight as the neutron images. Thus, the technique is described, and data from a set of experiments are presented, along with a discussion of techniques for coregistration of the various images. It is concluded that the technique is viable and could provide valuable information if implemented on NIF in the near future.« less

Simultaneous neutron and x-ray imaging of inertial confinement fusion experiments along a single line of sight at Omega

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Danly, C. R.; Day, T. H.; Herrmann, H.

Neutron and x-ray imaging provide critical information about the geometry and hydrodynamics of inertial confinement fusion implosions. However, existing diagnostics at Omega and the National Ignition Facility (NIF) cannot produce images in both neutrons and x-rays along the same line of sight. This leads to difficulty comparing these images, which capture different parts of the plasma geometry, for the asymmetric implosions seen in present experiments. Further, even when opposing port neutron and x-ray images are available, they use different detectors and cannot provide positive information about the relative positions of the neutron and x-ray sources. A technique has been demonstratedmore » on implosions at Omega that can capture x-ray images along the same line of sight as the neutron images. The technique is described, and data from a set of experiments are presented, along with a discussion of techniques for coregistration of the various images. It is concluded that the technique is viable and could provide valuable information if implemented on NIF in the near future.« less

Simultaneous neutron and x-ray imaging of inertial confinement fusion experiments along a single line of sight at Omega

DOE PAGES

Danly, C. R.; Day, T. H.; Fittinghoff, D. N.; ...

2015-04-16

Neutron and x-ray imaging provide critical information about the geometry and hydrodynamics of inertial confinement fusion implosions. However, existing diagnostics at Omega and the National Ignition Facility (NIF) cannot produce images in both neutrons and x-rays along the same line of sight. This leads to difficulty comparing these images, which capture different parts of the plasma geometry, for the asymmetric implosions seen in present experiments. Further, even when opposing port neutron and x-ray images are available, they use different detectors and cannot provide positive information about the relative positions of the neutron and x-ray sources. A technique has been demonstratedmore » on implosions at Omega that can capture x-ray images along the same line of sight as the neutron images. Thus, the technique is described, and data from a set of experiments are presented, along with a discussion of techniques for coregistration of the various images. It is concluded that the technique is viable and could provide valuable information if implemented on NIF in the near future.« less

Simultaneous neutron and x-ray imaging of inertial confinement fusion experiments along a single line of sight at Omega.

PubMed

Danly, C R; Day, T H; Fittinghoff, D N; Herrmann, H; Izumi, N; Kim, Y H; Martinez, J I; Merrill, F E; Schmidt, D W; Simpson, R A; Volegov, P L; Wilde, C H

2015-04-01

Neutron and x-ray imaging provide critical information about the geometry and hydrodynamics of inertial confinement fusion implosions. However, existing diagnostics at Omega and the National Ignition Facility (NIF) cannot produce images in both neutrons and x-rays along the same line of sight. This leads to difficulty comparing these images, which capture different parts of the plasma geometry, for the asymmetric implosions seen in present experiments. Further, even when opposing port neutron and x-ray images are available, they use different detectors and cannot provide positive information about the relative positions of the neutron and x-ray sources. A technique has been demonstrated on implosions at Omega that can capture x-ray images along the same line of sight as the neutron images. The technique is described, and data from a set of experiments are presented, along with a discussion of techniques for coregistration of the various images. It is concluded that the technique is viable and could provide valuable information if implemented on NIF in the near future.

Coil Realizability Criteria for Stellarator Surface Currents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boozer, A.; Hirshman, S.; Brooks, A.

1998-11-01

The method of automatic optimization(P. Merkel, Nucl. Fusion 27 (1987) 867.) for the design of stellarator coils (NESCOIL code) typically yields a two-dimensional surface current potential φ from which current filaments can be extracted, using the relation Ks = n × nabla φ. Until now, the realizability of coils obtained in this way has been largely decoupled from the physics optimization process which originally provided the matching surface on which B_normal = 0 (thus determining φ). For quasi-axisymmetric stellarators (QAS)(A. Reiman, et al., to be published.) or quasi- omnigeneous stellarators(S. P. Hirshman, D. A. Spong, et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 80 (1998) 528.) with finite parallel plasma currents, it is often found that the current potential becomes too complicated to be consistent with realizable coils. We have developed analytic measures of the complexity of the current potential. These measures can be incorporated into the physics optimizer and can limit the plasma boundaries to those which are likely to produce realizable coils.

Ultrafast neutron detector

DOEpatents

Wang, Ching L.

1987-01-01

The invention comprises a neutron detector (50) of very high temporal resolution that is particularly well suited for measuring the fusion reaction neutrons produced by laser-driven inertial confinement fusion targets. The detector comprises a biased two-conductor traveling-wave transmission line (54, 56, 58, 68) having a uranium cathode (60) and a phosphor anode (62) as respective parts of the two conductors. A charge line and Auston switch assembly (70, 72, 74) launch an electric field pulse along the transmission line. Neutrons striking the uranium cathode at a location where the field pulse is passing, are enabled to strike the phosphor anode and produce light that is recorded on photographic film (64). The transmission line may be variously configured to achieve specific experimental goals.

Optimization of the current potential for stellarator coils

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Boozer, Allen H.; Max-Planck-Institut fuer Plasmaphysik, EURATOM-Association, D-85748 Garching,

2000-02-01

Stellarator plasma confinement devices have no continuous symmetries, which makes the design of appropriate coils far more subtle than for axisymmetric devices such as tokamaks. The modern method for designing coils for stellarators was developed by Peter Merkel [P. Merkel, Nucl. Fusion 27, 867 (1987)]. Although his method has yielded a number of successful stellarator designs, Merkel's method has a systematic tendency to give coils with a larger current than that required to produce a stellarator plasma with certain properties. In addition, Merkel's method does not naturally lead to a coil set with the flexibility to produce a number ofmore » interesting plasma configurations. The issues of coil efficiency and flexibility are addressed in this paper by a new method of optimizing the current potential, the first step in Merkel's method. The new method also allows the coil design to be based on a freer choice for the plasma-coil separation and to be constrained so space is preserved for plasma access. (c) 2000 American Institute of Physics.« less

Systematic analysis of advanced fusion fuel in inertial fusion energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Velarde, G.; Eliezer, S.; Henis, Z.; Piera, M.; Martinez-Val, J. M.

1997-04-01

Aneutronic fusion reactions can be considered as the cleanest way to exploit nuclear energy. However, these reactions present in general two main drawbacks.—very high temperatures are needed to reach relevant values of their cross sections—Moderate (and even low) energy yield per reaction. This value is still lower if measured in relation to the Z number of the reacting particles. It is already known that bremsstrahlung overruns the plasma reheating by fusion born charged-particles in most of the advanced fuels. This is for instance the case for proton-boron-11 fusion in a stoichiometric plasma and is also so in lithium isotopes fusion reactions. In this paper, the use of deuterium-tritium seeding is suggested to allow to reach higher burnup fractions of advanced fuels, starting at a lower ignition temperature. Of course, neutron production increases as DT contents does. Nevertheless, the ratio of neutron production to energy generation is much lower in DT-advanced fuel mixtures than in pure DT plasmas. One of the main findings of this work is that some natural resources (as D and Li-7) can be burned-up in a catalytic regime for tritium. In this case, neither external tritium breeding nor tritium storage are needed, because the tritium inventory after the fusion burst is the same as before it. The fusion reactor can thus operate on a pure recycling of a small tritium inventory.

Production cross sections of neutron-rich No-263261 isotopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jingjing; Li, Cheng; Zhang, Gen; Zhu, Long; Liu, Zhong; Zhang, Feng-Shou

2017-05-01

The fusion excitation functions of No-263249 are studied by using various reaction systems based on the dinuclear system model. The neutron-rich radioactive beam 22O is used to produce neutron-rich nobelium isotopes, and the new neutron-rich isotopes No-263261 are synthesized by 242Pu(22O,3 n )261No , 244Pu(22O,4 n )262No , and 244Pu(22O,3 n )263No reactions, respectively. The corresponding maximum evaporation residue cross sections are 0.628, 4.649, and 1.638 μ b , respectively. The effects of the three processes (capture, fusion, and survival) in the complete fusion reaction are also analyzed. From investigation, a neutron-rich radioactive beam as the projectile and neutron-rich actinide as the target could be a new selection of the projectile-target combination to produce a neutron-rich heavy nuclide.

Neutron counter based on beryllium activation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bienkowska, B.; Prokopowicz, R.; Scholz, M.; Kaczmarczyk, J.; Igielski, A.; Karpinski, L.; Paducha, M.; Pytel, K.

2014-08-01

The fusion reaction occurring in DD plasma is followed by emission of 2.45 MeV neutrons, which carry out information about fusion reaction rate and plasma parameters and properties as well. Neutron activation of beryllium has been chosen for detection of DD fusion neutrons. The cross-section for reaction 9Be(n, α)6He has a useful threshold near 1 MeV, which means that undesirable multiple-scattered neutrons do not undergo that reaction and therefore are not recorded. The product of the reaction, 6He, decays with half-life T1/2 = 0.807 s emitting β- particles which are easy to detect. Large area gas sealed proportional detector has been chosen as a counter of β-particles leaving activated beryllium plate. The plate with optimized dimensions adjoins the proportional counter entrance window. Such set-up is also equipped with appropriate electronic components and forms beryllium neutron activation counter. The neutron flux density on beryllium plate can be determined from the number of counts. The proper calibration procedure needs to be performed, therefore, to establish such relation. The measurements with the use of known β-source have been done. In order to determine the detector response function such experiment have been modeled by means of MCNP5-the Monte Carlo transport code. It allowed proper application of the results of transport calculations of β- particles emitted from radioactive 6He and reaching proportional detector active volume. In order to test the counter system and measuring procedure a number of experiments have been performed on PF devices. The experimental conditions have been simulated by means of MCNP5. The correctness of simulation outcome have been proved by measurements with known radioactive neutron source. The results of the DD fusion neutron measurements have been compared with other neutron diagnostics.

Moderator design studies for a new neutron reference source based on the D-T fusion reaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mozhayev, Andrey V.; Piper, Roman K.; Rathbone, Bruce A.; McDonald, Joseph C.

2016-06-01

The radioactive isotope Californium-252 (252Cf) is relied upon internationally as a neutron calibration source for ionizing radiation dosimetry because of its high specific activity. The source may be placed within a heavy-water (D2O) moderating sphere to produce a softened spectrum representative of neutron fields common to commercial nuclear power plant environments, among others. Due to termination of the U.S. Department of Energy loan/lease program in 2012, the expense of obtaining 252Cf sources has undergone a significant increase, rendering high output sources largely unattainable. On the other hand, the use of neutron generators in research and industry applications has increased dramatically in recent years. Neutron generators based on deuteriumtritium (D-T) fusion reaction provide high neutron fluence rates and, therefore, could possibly be used as a replacement for 252Cf. To be viable, the 14 MeV D-T output spectrum must be significantly moderated to approximate common workplace environments. This paper presents the results of an effort to select appropriate moderating materials and design a configuration to reshape the primary neutron field toward a spectrum approaching that from a nuclear power plant workplace. A series of Monte-Carlo (MCNP) simulations of single layer high- and low-Z materials are used to identify initial candidate moderators. Candidates are refined through a similar series of simulations involving combinations of 2-5 different materials. The simulated energy distribution using these candidate moderators are rated in comparison to a target spectrum. Other properties, such as fluence preservation and/or enhancement, prompt gamma production and other characteristics are also considered.

From pure fusion to fusion-fission Demo tokamaks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mirnov, S. V.

2013-04-01

The major requirements for pure fusion tokamak reactors and tokamak-based fusion neutron sources (FNS) are analyzed together with possible paths from the present-day tokamak towards the FNS tokamak. The FNS are of interest for traditional fission reactors as a method of waste management by burning of long-lived transuranic radionuclides (minorities) and fission fuel breeding. The Russian fission community places several hard requirements on the quality of FNS suitable for the first step of the investigation program of minority burning and breeding. They are (a) a steady-state regime of neutron production (more than 80% of the operational time), (b) a neutron power flux density greater than >0.2 MW m-2, (c) a total surface integrated neutron power >10 MW. Among the different FNS projects, based on magnetically confined plasmas, only ‘classical tokamak’ is most likely to fulfill these requirements in the nearest future. Some of the most important improvements of the ‘classical tokamak’ needed for successful realization of the FNS are (1) decrease in Zeff (probably, by making use of lithium as a part of plasma-facing components), (2) He removal and closed loop DT fuel circulation, (3) increase in the energy of stationary injected neutral tritium beams up to 150-170 keV and (4) control of impurity contamination at the plasma center (probably, by local RF heating). These key issues are discussed.

Phase 3 experiments of the JAERI/USDOE collaborative program on fusion blanket neutronics. Volume 1: Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oyama, Yukio; Konno, Chikara; Ikeda, Yujiro; Maekawa, Fujio; Kosako, Kazuaki; Nakamura, Tomoo; Maekawa, Hiroshi; Youssef, Mahmoud Z.; Kumar, Anil; Abdou, Mohamed A.

1994-02-01

A pseudo-line source has been realized by using an accelerator based D-T point neutron source. The pseudo-line source is obtained by time averaging of continuously moving point source or by superposition of finely distributed point sources. The line source is utilized for fusion blanket neutronics experiments with an annular geometry so as to simulate a part of a tokamak reactor. The source neutron characteristics were measured for two operational modes for the line source, continuous and step-wide modes, with the activation foil and the NE213 detectors, respectively. In order to give a source condition for a successive calculational analysis on the annular blanket experiment, the neutron source characteristics was calculated by a Monte Carlo code. The reliability of the Monte Carlo calculation was confirmed by comparison with the measured source characteristics. The shape of the annular blanket system was a rectangular with an inner cavity. The annular blanket was consist of 15 mm-thick first wall (SS304) and 406 mm-thick breeder zone with Li2O at inside and Li2CO3 at outside. The line source was produced at the center of the inner cavity by moving the annular blanket system in the span of 2 m. Three annular blanket configurations were examined; the reference blanket, the blanket covered with 25 mm thick graphite armor and the armor-blanket with a large opening. The neutronics parameters of tritium production rate, neutron spectrum and activation reaction rate were measured with specially developed techniques such as multi-detector data acquisition system, spectrum weighting function method and ramp controlled high voltage system. The present experiment provides unique data for a higher step of benchmark to test a reliability of neutronics design calculation for a realistic tokamak reactor.

Moderator design studies for a new neutron reference source based on the D–T fusion reaction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mozhayev, Andrey V.; Piper, Roman K.; Rathbone, Bruce A.

2016-06-01

The radioactive isotope Californium-252 (252Cf) is relied upon internationally as a neutron calibration source for ionizing radiation dosimetry because of its high specific activity. The source may be placed within a heavy-water (D2O) moderating sphere to produce a softened spectrum representative of neutron fields common to commercial nuclear power plant environments, among others. Due to termination of the U.S. Department of Energy loan/lease program in 2012, the expense of obtaining 252Cf sources has undergone a significant increase, rendering high output sources largely unattainable. On the other hand, the use of neutron generators in research and industry applications has increased dramaticallymore » in recent years. Neutron generators based on deuterium-tritium (D-T) fusion reaction provide high neutron fluence rates and, therefore, could possibly be used as a replacement for 252Cf. To be viable, the 14.6 MeV D-T output spectrum must be significantly moderated to approximate common workplace environments. This paper presents the results of an effort to select appropriate moderating materials and design a configuration to reshape the primary neutron field toward a spectrum approaching that from a nuclear power plant workplace. A series of Monte-Carlo (MCNP) simulations of single layer high- and low-Z materials are used to identify initial candidate moderators. Candidates are refined through a similar series of simulations involving combinations of 2 to 5 different materials. The simulated energy distribution using these candidate moderators are rated in comparison to a target spectrum. Other properties, such as fluence preservation and/or enhancement, prompt gamma production and other characteristics are also considered.« less

Disassembly time of deuterium-cluster-fusion plasma irradiated by an intense laser pulse.

PubMed

Bang, W

2015-07-01

Energetic deuterium ions from large deuterium clusters (>10nm diameter) irradiated by an intense laser pulse (>10(16)W/cm(2)) produce DD fusion neutrons for a time interval determined by the geometry of the resulting fusion plasma. We present an analytical solution of this time interval, the plasma disassembly time, for deuterium plasmas that are cylindrical in shape. Assuming a symmetrically expanding deuterium plasma, we calculate the expected fusion neutron yield and compare with an independent calculation of the yield using the concept of a finite confinement time at a fixed plasma density. The calculated neutron yields agree quantitatively with the available experimental data. Our one-dimensional simulations indicate that one could expect a tenfold increase in total neutron yield by magnetically confining a 10-keV deuterium fusion plasma for 10ns.

Neutron scatter camera

DOEpatents

Mascarenhas, Nicholas; Marleau, Peter; Brennan, James S.; Krenz, Kevin D.

2010-06-22

An instrument that will directly image the fast fission neutrons from a special nuclear material source has been described. This instrument can improve the signal to background compared to non imaging neutron detection techniques by a factor given by ratio of the angular resolution window to 4.pi.. In addition to being a neutron imager, this instrument will also be an excellent neutron spectrometer, and will be able to differentiate between different types of neutron sources (e.g. fission, alpha-n, cosmic ray, and D-D or D-T fusion). Moreover, the instrument is able to pinpoint the source location.

Production of tritium, neutrons, and heat based on the transmission resonance model (TRM) for cold fusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bush, Robert T.

1991-05-01

The TRM has recently been successful in fitting calorimetric data having interesting nonlinear structure. The model appears to provide a natural description for electrolytic cold fusion in terms of ``fractals''. Extended to the time dimension, the model can apparently account for the phenomenon of heat ``bursts''. The TRM combines a transmission condition involving quantized energies and an engergy shift of a Maxwell-Boltzmann energy distribution of deuterons at the cathodic surface that appears related to the concentration overpotential (hydrogen overvoltage). The model suggest three possible regimes vis-a-vis tritium production in terms of this energy shift, and indicates why measurable tritium production in the electrolytic case will tend to be the exception rather than the rule in absence of a recipe: Below a shift of approximately 2.8 meV there is production of both tritium and measureable excess heat, with the possibility of accounting for the Bockris curve indicating about a 1% correlation between excess heat and tritium. However, over the large range from about 2.8 meV to 340 meV energy shift there is a regime of observable excess heat production but little, and probably no measurable, tritium production. The third regime is more hypothetical: It begins at an energy shift of about 1 keV and extends to the boundaries of ``hot'' fusion at about 10 keV. A new type of nucelar reaction, trint (for transmission resonance-induced neutron transfer), is suggested by the model leading to triton and neutron production. A charge distribution ``polarization conjecture'' is the basis for theoretical derivation for the low-energy limit for an energy-dependent branching ratio for D-on-D. When the values of the parameters are inserted, this expression yields an estimate for the ratio of neutron-to-triton production of about 1.64×10-9. The possibility of some three-body reactions is also suggested. A comparison of the TRM's transmission energy levels for palladium deuteride

Global Search Methods for Stellarator Design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mynick, H. E.; Pomphrey, N.

2001-10-01

We have implemented a new variant Stellopt-DE of the stellarator optimizer Stellopt used by the NCSX team.(A. Reiman, G. Fu, S. Hirshman, D. Monticello, et al., EPS Meeting on Controlled Fusion and Plasma Physics Research, Maastricht, the Netherlands, June 14-18, 1999, (European Physical Society, Petit-Lancy, 1999).) It is based on the ``differential evolution'' (DE) algorithm,(R. Storn, K. Price, U.C. Berkeley Technical Report TR-95-012, ICSI (March, 1995).) a global search method which is far less prone than local algorithms such as the Levenberg-Marquardt method presently used in Stellopt to become trapped in local suboptimal minima of the cost function \\chi. Explorations of stellarator configuration space z to which the DE method has been applied will be presented. Additionally, an accompanying effort to understand the results of this more global exploration has found that a wide range of Quasi-Axisymmetric Stellarators (QAS) previously studied fall into a small number of classes, and we obtain maps of \\chi(z) from which one can see the relative positions of these QAS, and the reasons for the classes into which they fall.

Optimization of tritium breeding and shielding analysis to plasma in ITER fusion reactor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Indah Rosidah, M., E-mail: indah.maymunah@gmail.com; Suud, Zaki, E-mail: szaki@fi.itb.ac.id; Yazid, Putranto Ilham

The development of fusion energy is one of the important International energy strategies with the important milestone is ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) project, initiated by many countries, such as: America, Europe, and Japan who agreed to set up TOKAMAK type fusion reactor in France. In ideal fusion reactor the fuel is purely deuterium, but it need higher temperature of reactor. In ITER project the fuels are deuterium and tritium which need lower temperature of the reactor. In this study tritium for fusion reactor can be produced by using reaction of lithium with neutron in the blanket region. With themore » tritium breeding blanket which react between Li-6 in the blanket with neutron resulted from the plasma region. In this research the material used in each layer surrounding the plasma in the reactor is optimized. Moreover, achieving self-sufficiency condition in the reactor in order tritium has enough availability to be consumed for a long time. In order to optimize Tritium Breeding Ratio (TBR) value in the fusion reactor, there are several strategies considered here. The first requirement is making variation in Li-6 enrichment to be 60%, 70%, and 90%. But, the result of that condition can not reach TBR value better than with no enrichment. Because there is reduction of Li-7 percent when increasing Li-6 percent. The other way is converting neutron multiplier material with Pb. From this, we get TBR value better with the Be as neutron multiplier. Beside of TBR value, fusion reactor can analyze the distribution of neutron flux and dose rate of neutron to know the change of neutron concentration for each layer in reactor. From the simulation in this study, 97% neutron concentration can be absorbed by material in reactor, so it is good enough. In addition, it is required to analyze spectrum neutron energy in many layers in the fusion reactor such as in blanket, coolant, and divertor. Actually material in that layer can resist in high

Spatial heterogeneity of tungsten transmutation in a fusion device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gilbert, M. R.; Sublet, J.-Ch.; Dudarev, S. L.

2017-04-01

Accurately quantifying the transmutation rate of tungsten (W) under neutron irradiation is a necessary requirement in the assessment of its performance as an armour material in a fusion power plant. The usual approach of calculating average responses, assuming large, homogenised material volumes, is insufficient to capture the full complexity of the transmutation picture in the context of a realistic fusion power plant design, particularly for rhenium (Re) production from W. Combined neutron transport and inventory simulations for representative spatially heterogeneous high-resolution models of a fusion power plant show that the production rate of Re is strongly influenced by the surrounding local spatial environment. Localised variation in neutron moderation (slowing down) due to structural steel and coolant, particularly water, can dramatically increase Re production because of the huge cross sections of giant resolved resonances in the neutron-capture reaction of 186W at low neutron energies. Calculations using cross section data corrected for temperature (Doppler) effects suggest that temperature may have a relatively lesser influence on transmutation rates.

Probing axions with neutron star inspirals and other stellar processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hook, Anson; Huang, Junwu

2018-06-01

In certain models of a QCD axion, finite density corrections to the axion potential can result in the axion being sourced by large dense objects. There are a variety of ways to test this phenomenon, but perhaps the most surprising effect is that the axion can mediate forces between neutron stars that can be as strong as gravity. These forces can be attractive or repulsive and their presence can be detected by Advanced LIGO observations of neutron star inspirals. By a numerical coincidence, axion forces between neutron stars with gravitational strength naturally have an associated length scale of tens of kilometers or longer, similar to that of a neutron star. Future observations of neutron star mergers in Advanced LIGO can probe many orders of magnitude of axion parameter space. Because the axion is only sourced by large dense objects, the axion force evades fifth force constraints. We also outline several other ways to probe this phenomenon using electromagnetic signals associated with compact objects.

Neutron counter based on beryllium activation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bienkowska, B.; Prokopowicz, R.; Kaczmarczyk, J.

2014-08-21

The fusion reaction occurring in DD plasma is followed by emission of 2.45 MeV neutrons, which carry out information about fusion reaction rate and plasma parameters and properties as well. Neutron activation of beryllium has been chosen for detection of DD fusion neutrons. The cross-section for reaction {sup 9}Be(n, α){sup 6}He has a useful threshold near 1 MeV, which means that undesirable multiple-scattered neutrons do not undergo that reaction and therefore are not recorded. The product of the reaction, {sup 6}He, decays with half-life T{sub 1/2} = 0.807 s emitting β{sup −} particles which are easy to detect. Large areamore » gas sealed proportional detector has been chosen as a counter of β–particles leaving activated beryllium plate. The plate with optimized dimensions adjoins the proportional counter entrance window. Such set-up is also equipped with appropriate electronic components and forms beryllium neutron activation counter. The neutron flux density on beryllium plate can be determined from the number of counts. The proper calibration procedure needs to be performed, therefore, to establish such relation. The measurements with the use of known β–source have been done. In order to determine the detector response function such experiment have been modeled by means of MCNP5–the Monte Carlo transport code. It allowed proper application of the results of transport calculations of β{sup −} particles emitted from radioactive {sup 6}He and reaching proportional detector active volume. In order to test the counter system and measuring procedure a number of experiments have been performed on PF devices. The experimental conditions have been simulated by means of MCNP5. The correctness of simulation outcome have been proved by measurements with known radioactive neutron source. The results of the DD fusion neutron measurements have been compared with other neutron diagnostics.« less

Three-dimensional analysis of tokamaks and stellarators

PubMed Central

Garabedian, Paul R.

2008-01-01

The NSTAB equilibrium and stability code and the TRAN Monte Carlo transport code furnish a simple but effective numerical simulation of essential features of present tokamak and stellarator experiments. When the mesh size is comparable to the island width, an accurate radial difference scheme in conservation form captures magnetic islands successfully despite a nested surface hypothesis imposed by the mathematics. Three-dimensional asymmetries in bifurcated numerical solutions of the axially symmetric tokamak problem are relevant to the observation of unstable neoclassical tearing modes and edge localized modes in experiments. Islands in compact stellarators with quasiaxial symmetry are easier to control, so these configurations will become good candidates for magnetic fusion if difficulties with safety and stability are encountered in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project. PMID:18768807

Neutronics Design of a Thorium-Fueled Fission Blanket for LIFE (Laser Inertial Fusion-based Energy)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Powers, J; Abbott, R; Fratoni, M

The Laser Inertial Fusion-based Energy (LIFE) project at LLNL includes development of hybrid fusion-fission systems for energy generation. These hybrid LIFE engines use high-energy neutrons from laser-based inertial confinement fusion to drive a subcritical blanket of fission fuel that surrounds the fusion chamber. The fission blanket contains TRISO fuel particles packed into pebbles in a flowing bed geometry cooled by a molten salt (flibe). LIFE engines using a thorium fuel cycle provide potential improvements in overall fuel cycle performance and resource utilization compared to using depleted uranium (DU) and may minimize waste repository and proliferation concerns. A preliminary engine designmore » with an initial loading of 40 metric tons of thorium can maintain a power level of 2000 MW{sub th} for about 55 years, at which point the fuel reaches an average burnup level of about 75% FIMA. Acceptable performance was achieved without using any zero-flux environment 'cooling periods' to allow {sup 233}Pa to decay to {sup 233}U; thorium undergoes constant irradiation in this LIFE engine design to minimize proliferation risks and fuel inventory. Vast reductions in end-of-life (EOL) transuranic (TRU) inventories compared to those produced by a similar uranium system suggest reduced proliferation risks. Decay heat generation in discharge fuel appears lower for a thorium LIFE engine than a DU engine but differences in radioactive ingestion hazard are less conclusive. Future efforts on development of thorium-fueled LIFE fission blankets engine development will include design optimization, fuel performance analysis work, and further waste disposal and nonproliferation analyses.« less

BOOK REVIEW: Stellarator and Heliotron Devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, John L.

1999-02-01

Stellarators and tokamaks are the most advanced devices that have been developed for magnetic fusion applications. The two approaches have much in common; tokamaks have received the most attention because their axisymmetry justifies the use of simpler models and provides a more forgiving geometry. However, recent advances in treating more complicated three dimensional systems have made it possible to design stellarators that are not susceptible to disruptions and do not need plasma current control. This has excited interest recently. The two largest new magnetic experiments in the world are the LHD device, which commenced operation in Toki, Japan, in 1998 and W7-X, which should become operational in Greifswald, Germany, in 2004. Other recently commissioned stellarators, including H-1 in Canberra, Australia, TJ-II in Madrid, Spain, and IMS in Madison, Wisconsin, have joined these in rejuvenating the stellarator programme. Thus, it is most appropriate that the author has made the lecture material that he presents to his students in the Graduate School of Energy Science at Kyoto University available to everyone. Stellarator and Heliotron Devices provides an excellent treatment of stellarator theory. It is aimed at graduate students who have a good understanding of classical mechanics and mathematical techniques. It contains good descriptions and derivations of essentially every aspect of fusion theory. The author provides an excellent qualitative introduction to each subject, pointing out the strengths and weaknesses of the models that are being used and describing our present understanding. He judiciously uses simple models which illustrate the similarities and differences between stellarators and tokamaks. To some extent the treatment is uneven, rigorous derivations starting with basic principles being given in some cases and relations and equations taken from the original papers being used as a starting point in others. This technique provides an excellent training

Disassembly time of deuterium-cluster-fusion plasma irradiated by an intense laser pulse

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bang, W.

Energetic deuterium ions from large deuterium clusters (>10 nm diameter) irradiated by an intense laser pulse (>10¹⁶ W/cm²) produce DD fusion neutrons for a time interval determined by the geometry of the resulting fusion plasma. We show an analytical solution of this time interval, the plasma disassembly time, for deuterium plasmas that are cylindrical in shape. Assuming a symmetrically expanding deuterium plasma, we calculate the expected fusion neutron yield and compare with an independent calculation of the yield using the concept of a finite confinement time at a fixed plasma density. The calculated neutron yields agree quantitatively with the availablemore » experimental data. Our one-dimensional simulations indicate that one could expect a tenfold increase in total neutron yield by magnetically confining a 10 - keV deuterium fusion plasma for 10 ns.« less

Using gamma-ray emission to measure areal density of inertial confinement fusion capsulesa)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoffman, N. M.; Wilson, D. C.; Herrmann, H. W.; Young, C. S.

2010-10-01

Fusion neutrons streaming from a burning inertial confinement fusion capsule generate gamma rays via inelastic nuclear scattering in the ablator of the capsule. The intensity of gamma-ray emission is proportional to the product of the ablator areal density (ρR) and the yield of fusion neutrons, so by detecting the gamma rays we can infer the ablator areal density, provided we also have a measurement of the capsule's total neutron yield. In plastic-shell capsules, for example, C12 nuclei emit gamma rays at 4.44 MeV after excitation by 14.1 MeV neutrons from D+T fusion. These gamma rays can be measured by a new gamma-ray detector under development. Analysis of predicted signals is in progress, with results to date indicating that the method promises to be useful for diagnosing imploded capsules.

Disassembly time of deuterium-cluster-fusion plasma irradiated by an intense laser pulse

DOE PAGES

Bang, W.

2015-07-02

Energetic deuterium ions from large deuterium clusters (>10 nm diameter) irradiated by an intense laser pulse (>10¹⁶ W/cm²) produce DD fusion neutrons for a time interval determined by the geometry of the resulting fusion plasma. We show an analytical solution of this time interval, the plasma disassembly time, for deuterium plasmas that are cylindrical in shape. Assuming a symmetrically expanding deuterium plasma, we calculate the expected fusion neutron yield and compare with an independent calculation of the yield using the concept of a finite confinement time at a fixed plasma density. The calculated neutron yields agree quantitatively with the availablemore » experimental data. Our one-dimensional simulations indicate that one could expect a tenfold increase in total neutron yield by magnetically confining a 10 - keV deuterium fusion plasma for 10 ns.« less

Fusion pumped laser

DOEpatents

Pappas, Daniel S.

1989-01-01

Apparatus is provided for generating energy in the form of laser radiation. A tokamak fusion reactor is provided for generating a long, or continuous, pulse of high-energy neutrons. The tokamak design provides a temperature and a magnetic field which is effective to generate a neutron flux of at least 10.sup.15 neutrons/cm.sup.2.s. A conversion medium receives neutrons from the tokamak and converts the high-energy neutrons to an energy source with an intensity and an energy effective to excite a preselected lasing medium. The energy source typically comprises fission fragments, alpha particles, and radiation from a fission event. A lasing medium is provided which is responsive to the energy source to generate a population inversion which is effective to support laser oscillations for generating output radiation.

Downscattered Neutron Imaging for ICF

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moran, Michael; Haan, Steven; Hatchett, Stephen; Izumi, Nobuhiko; Koch, Jeffrey; Lerche, Richard; Phillips, Thomas

2002-11-01

Diagnostics which measure the performance of implosions are critical for the success of ignition. Neutron yield, fusion-burn time history, and images are examples of important diagnostics. Neutron and x-ray images will record the geometries of compressed targets during the fusion-burn process. Such images provide a critical test of the accuracy of numerical modeling of ICF experiments. Imaging of downscattered neutrons, by using energy-resolved detection, offers the intriguing advantage of being able to provide independent images of burning and non-burning regions of the nuclear fuel. The usefulness of downscattered neutron imaging depends on both the information content of the data and on the quality of the data that can be recorded. The information content will relate to the characteristic neutron spectra that are associated with emission from different regions of the source. Numerical modeling of ICF fusion burn will be required to interpret the corresponding energy-dependent images. The exercise will be useful only if the images can be recorded with sufficient definition to reveal the spatial and energy-dependent features of interest. Several options are being evaluated with respect to the feasibility of providing the desired simultaneous spatial and energy resolution. This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by the University of California, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under contract No. W-7405-Eng-48.

First Direct Measurement of C 12 ( C 12 , n ) Mg 23 at Stellar Energies

DOE PAGES

Bucher, B.; Tang, X. D.; Fang, X.; ...

2015-06-25

Neutrons produced by the carbon fusion reaction 12C( 12C,n) 23Mg play an important role in stellar nucleosynthesis. However, past studies have shown large discrepancies between experimental data and theory, leading to an uncertain cross section extrapolation at astrophysical energies. Here in this paper, we present the first direct measurement that extends deep into the astrophysical energy range along with a new and improved extrapolation technique based on experimental data from the mirror reaction 12C( 12C,p) 23Na . The new reaction rate has been determined with a well-defined uncertainty that exceeds the precision required by astrophysics models. Using our constrained rate,more » we find that 12C ( 12C,n) 23Mg is crucial to the production of Na and Al in pop-III pair instability supernovae. It also plays a nonnegligible role in the production of weak s -process elements, as well as in the production of the important galactic γ-ray emitter 60Fe.« less

Impurity transport and bulk ion flow in a mixed collisionality stellarator plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newton, S. L.; Helander, P.; Mollén, A.; Smith, H. M.

2017-10-01

The accumulation of impurities in the core of magnetically confined plasmas, resulting from standard collisional transport mechanisms, is a known threat to their performance as fusion energy sources. Whilst the axisymmetric tokamak systems have been shown to benefit from the effect of temperature screening, that is an outward flux of impurities driven by the temperature gradient, impurity accumulation in stellarators was thought to be inevitable, driven robustly by the inward pointing electric field characteristic of hot fusion plasmas. We have shown in Helander et al. (Phys. Rev. Lett., vol. 118, 2017a, 155002) that such screening can in principle also appear in stellarators, in the experimentally relevant mixed collisionality regime, where a highly collisional impurity species is present in a low collisionality bulk plasma. Details of the analytic calculation are presented here, along with the effect of the impurity on the bulk ion flow, which will ultimately affect the bulk contribution to the bootstrap current.

Comparison between proton boron fusion therapy (PBFT) and boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT): a monte carlo study.

PubMed

Jung, Joo-Young; Yoon, Do-Kun; Barraclough, Brendan; Lee, Heui Chang; Suh, Tae Suk; Lu, Bo

2017-06-13

The aim of this study is to compare between proton boron fusion therapy (PBFT) and boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) and to analyze dose escalation using a Monte Carlo simulation. We simulated a proton beam passing through the water with a boron uptake region (BUR) in MCNPX. To estimate the interaction between neutrons/protons and borons by the alpha particle, the simulation yielded with a variation of the center of the BUR location and proton energies. The variation and influence about the alpha particle were observed from the percent depth dose (PDD) and cross-plane dose profile of both the neutron and proton beams. The peak value of the maximum dose level when the boron particle was accurately labeled at the region was 192.4% among the energies. In all, we confirmed that prompt gamma rays of 478 keV and 719 keV were generated by the nuclear reactions in PBFT and BNCT, respectively. We validated the dramatic effectiveness of the alpha particle, especially in PBFT. The utility of PBFT was verified using the simulation and it has a potential for application in radiotherapy.

Comparison between proton boron fusion therapy (PBFT) and boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT): a Monte Carlo study

PubMed Central

Barraclough, Brendan; Lee, Heui Chang; Suh, Tae Suk; Lu, Bo

2017-01-01

The aim of this study is to compare between proton boron fusion therapy (PBFT) and boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) and to analyze dose escalation using a Monte Carlo simulation. We simulated a proton beam passing through the water with a boron uptake region (BUR) in MCNPX. To estimate the interaction between neutrons/protons and borons by the alpha particle, the simulation yielded with a variation of the center of the BUR location and proton energies. The variation and influence about the alpha particle were observed from the percent depth dose (PDD) and cross-plane dose profile of both the neutron and proton beams. The peak value of the maximum dose level when the boron particle was accurately labeled at the region was 192.4% among the energies. In all, we confirmed that prompt gamma rays of 478 keV and 719 keV were generated by the nuclear reactions in PBFT and BNCT, respectively. We validated the dramatic effectiveness of the alpha particle, especially in PBFT. The utility of PBFT was verified using the simulation and it has a potential for application in radiotherapy. PMID:28427153

Calculations of neoclassical impurity transport in stellarators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mollén, Albert; Smith, Håkan M.; Langenberg, Andreas; Turkin, Yuriy; Beidler, Craig D.; Helander, Per; Landreman, Matt; Newton, Sarah L.; García-Regaña, José M.; Nunami, Masanori

2017-10-01

The new stellarator Wendelstein 7-X has finished the first operational campaign and is restarting operation in the summer 2017. To demonstrate that the stellarator concept is a viable candidate for a fusion reactor and to allow for long pulse lengths of 30 min, i.e. ``quasi-stationary'' operation, it will be important to avoid central impurity accumulation typically governed by the radial neoclassical transport. The SFINCS code has been developed to calculate neoclassical quantities such as the radial collisional transport and the ambipolar radial electric field in 3D magnetic configurations. SFINCS is a cutting-edge numerical tool which combines several important features: the ability to model an arbitrary number of kinetic plasma species, the full linearized Fokker-Planck collision operator for all species, and the ability to calculate and account for the variation of the electrostatic potential on flux surfaces. In the present work we use SFINCS to study neoclassical impurity transport in stellarators. We explore how flux-surface potential variations affect the radial particle transport, and how the radial electric field is modified by non-trace impurities and flux-surface potential variations.

Contributions of each isotope in some fluids on neutronic performance in a fusion-fission hybrid reactor: a Monte Carlo method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Günay, M.; Şarer, B.; Kasap, H.

2014-08-01

In the present investigation, a fusion-fission hybrid reactor system was designed by using 9Cr2WVTa ferritic steel structural material and 99-95 % Li20Sn80-1-5 % SFG-Pu, 99-95 % Li20Sn80-1-5 % SFG-PuF4, 99-95 % Li20Sn80-1-5 % SFG-PuO2 the molten salt-heavy metal mixtures, as fluids. The fluids were used in the liquid first wall, blanket and shield zones of a fusion-fission hybrid reactor system. Beryllium zone with the width of 3 cm was used for the neutron multiplicity between liquid first wall and blanket. The contributions of each isotope in fluids on the nuclear parameters of a fusion-fission hybrid reactor such as tritium breeding ratio, energy multiplication factor, heat deposition rate were computed in liquid first wall, blanket and shield zones. Three-dimensional analyses were performed by using Monte Carlo code MCNPX-2.7.0 and nuclear data library ENDF/B-VII.0.

Gamow-Teller strength and lepton captures rates on 66-71Ni in stellar matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nabi, Jameel-Un; Majid, Muhammad

Charge-changing transitions play a significant role in stellar weak-decay processes. The fate of the massive stars is decided by these weak-decay rates including lepton (positron and electron) captures rates, which play a consequential role in the dynamics of core collapse. As per previous simulation results, weak interaction rates on nickel (Ni) isotopes have significant influence on the stellar core vis-à-vis controlling the lepton content of stellar matter throughout the silicon shell burning phases of high mass stars up to the presupernova stages. In this paper, we perform a microscopic calculation of Gamow-Teller (GT) charge-changing transitions, in the β-decay and electron capture (EC) directions, for neutron-rich Ni isotopes (66-71Ni). We further compute the associated weak-decay rates for these selected Ni isotopes in stellar environment. The computations are accomplished by employing the deformed proton-neutron quasiparticle random phase approximation (pn-QRPA) model. A recent study showed that the deformed pn-QRPA theory is well suited for the estimation of GT transitions. The astral weak-decay rates are determined over densities in the range of 10-1011g/cm3 and temperatures in the range of 0.01 × 109-30 × 109K. The calculated lepton capture rates are compared with the previous calculation of Pruet and Fuller (PF). The overall comparison demonstrates that, at low stellar densities and high temperatures, our EC rates are bigger by as much as two orders of magnitude. Our results show that, at higher temperatures, the lepton capture rates are the dominant mode for the stellar weak rates and the corresponding lepton emission rates may be neglected.

Nondestructive Inspection System for Special Nuclear Material Using Inertial Electrostatic Confinement Fusion Neutrons and Laser Compton Scattering Gamma-Rays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ohgaki, H.; Daito, I.; Zen, H.; Kii, T.; Masuda, K.; Misawa, T.; Hajima, R.; Hayakawa, T.; Shizuma, T.; Kando, M.; Fujimoto, S.

2017-07-01

A Neutron/Gamma-ray combined inspection system for hidden special nuclear materials (SNMs) in cargo containers has been developed under a program of Japan Science and Technology Agency in Japan. This inspection system consists of an active neutron-detection system for fast screening and a laser Compton backscattering gamma-ray source in coupling with nuclear resonance fluorescence (NRF) method for precise inspection. The inertial electrostatic confinement fusion device has been adopted as a neutron source and two neutron-detection methods, delayed neutron noise analysis method and high-energy neutron-detection method, have been developed to realize the fast screening system. The prototype system has been constructed and tested in the Reactor Research Institute, Kyoto University. For the generation of the laser Compton backscattering gamma-ray beam, a race track microtron accelerator has been used to reduce the size of the system. For the NRF measurement, an array of LaBr3(Ce) scintillation detectors has been adopted to realize a low-cost detection system. The prototype of the gamma-ray system has been demonstrated in the Kansai Photon Science Institute, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology. By using numerical simulations based on the data taken from these prototype systems and the inspection-flow, the system designed by this program can detect 1 kg of highly enriched 235U (HEU) hidden in an empty 20-ft container within several minutes.

The neutron imaging diagnostic at NIF (invited).

PubMed

Merrill, F E; Bower, D; Buckles, R; Clark, D D; Danly, C R; Drury, O B; Dzenitis, J M; Fatherley, V E; Fittinghoff, D N; Gallegos, R; Grim, G P; Guler, N; Loomis, E N; Lutz, S; Malone, R M; Martinson, D D; Mares, D; Morley, D J; Morgan, G L; Oertel, J A; Tregillis, I L; Volegov, P L; Weiss, P B; Wilde, C H; Wilson, D C

2012-10-01

A neutron imaging diagnostic has recently been commissioned at the National Ignition Facility (NIF). This new system is an important diagnostic tool for inertial fusion studies at the NIF for measuring the size and shape of the burning DT plasma during the ignition stage of Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) implosions. The imaging technique utilizes a pinhole neutron aperture, placed between the neutron source and a neutron detector. The detection system measures the two dimensional distribution of neutrons passing through the pinhole. This diagnostic has been designed to collect two images at two times. The long flight path for this diagnostic, 28 m, results in a chromatic separation of the neutrons, allowing the independently timed images to measure the source distribution for two neutron energies. Typically the first image measures the distribution of the 14 MeV neutrons and the second image of the 6-12 MeV neutrons. The combination of these two images has provided data on the size and shape of the burning plasma within the compressed capsule, as well as a measure of the quantity and spatial distribution of the cold fuel surrounding this core.

Fusion reactor pumped laser

DOEpatents

Jassby, D.L.

1987-09-04

A nuclear pumped laser capable of producing long pulses of very high power laser radiation is provided. A toroidal fusion reactor provides energetic neutrons which are slowed down by a moderator. The moderated neutrons are converted to energetic particles capable of pumping a lasing medium. The lasing medium is housed in an annular cell surrounding the reactor. The cell includes an annular reflecting mirror at the bottom and an annular output window at the top. A neutron reflector is disposed around the cell to reflect escaping neutrons back into the cell. The laser radiation from the annular window is focused onto a beam compactor which generates a single coherent output laser beam. 10 figs.

Fusion reactor pumped laser

DOEpatents

Jassby, Daniel L.

1988-01-01

A nuclear pumped laser capable of producing long pulses of very high power laser radiation is provided. A toroidal fusion reactor provides energetic neutrons which are slowed down by a moderator. The moderated neutrons are converted to energetic particles capable of pumping a lasing medium. The lasing medium is housed in an annular cell surrounding the reactor. The cell includes an annular reflecting mirror at the bottom and an annular output window at the top. A neutron reflector is disposed around the cell to reflect escaping neutrons back into the cell. The laser radiation from the annular window is focused onto a beam compactor which generates a single coherent output laser beam.

Analysing neutron star in HESS J1731-347 from thermal emission and cooling theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ofengeim, D. D.; Kaminker, A. D.; Klochkov, D.; Suleimanov, V.; Yakovlev, D. G.

2015-12-01

The central compact object in the supernova remnant HESS J1731-347 appears to be the hottest observed isolated cooling neutron star. The cooling theory of neutron stars enables one to explain observations of this star by assuming the presence of strong proton superfluidity in the stellar core and the existence of the surface heat blanketing envelope which almost fully consists of carbon. The cooling model of this star is elaborated to take proper account of the neutrino emission due to neutron-neutron collisions which is not suppressed by proton superfluidity. Using the results of spectral fits of observed thermal spectra for the distance of 3.2 kpc and the cooling theory for the neutron star of age 27 kyr, new constraints on the stellar mass and radius are obtained which are more stringent than those derived from the spectral fits alone.

Evolution of Optical Binary Fraction in Sparse Stellar Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Zhongmu; Mao, Caiyan

2018-05-01

This work studies the evolution of the fraction of optical binary stars (OBF; not including components such as neutron stars and black holes), which is caused by stellar evolution, and the contributions of various binaries to OBF via the stellar population synthesis technique. It is shown that OBF decreases from 1 to about 0.81 for stellar populations with the Salpeter initial mass function (IMF), and to about 0.85 for the case of the Kroupa IMF, on a timescale of 15 Gyr. This result depends on metallicity, slightly. The contributions of binaries varying with mass ratio, orbital period, separation, spectral types of primary and secondary, contact degree, and pair type to OBF are calculated for stellar populations with different ages and metallicities. The contribution of different kinds of binaries to OBF depends on age and metallicity. The results can be used for estimating the global OBF of star clusters or galaxies from the fraction of a kind of binary. It is also helpful for estimating the primordial and future binary fractions of sparse stellar systems from the present observations. Our results are suitable for studying field stars, open clusters, and the outer part of globular clusters, because the OBF of such objects is affected by dynamical processes, relatively slightly, but they can also be used for giving some limits for other populations.

Technical challenges in the construction of the steady-state stellarator Wendelstein 7-X

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bosch, H.-S.; Wolf, R. C.; Andreeva, T.; Baldzuhn, J.; Birus, D.; Bluhm, T.; Bräuer, T.; Braune, H.; Bykov, V.; Cardella, A.; Durodié, F.; Endler, M.; Erckmann, V.; Gantenbein, G.; Hartmann, D.; Hathiramani, D.; Heimann, P.; Heinemann, B.; Hennig, C.; Hirsch, M.; Holtum, D.; Jagielski, J.; Jelonnek, J.; Kasparek, W.; Klinger, T.; König, R.; Kornejew, P.; Kroiss, H.; Krom, J. G.; Kühner, G.; Laqua, H.; Laqua, H. P.; Lechte, C.; Lewerentz, M.; Maier, J.; McNeely, P.; Messiaen, A.; Michel, G.; Ongena, J.; Peacock, A.; Pedersen, T. S.; Riedl, R.; Riemann, H.; Rong, P.; Rust, N.; Schacht, J.; Schauer, F.; Schroeder, R.; Schweer, B.; Spring, A.; Stäbler, A.; Thumm, M.; Turkin, Y.; Wegener, L.; Werner, A.; Zhang, D.; Zilker, M.; Akijama, T.; Alzbutas, R.; Ascasibar, E.; Balden, M.; Banduch, M.; Baylard, Ch.; Behr, W.; Beidler, C.; Benndorf, A.; Bergmann, T.; Biedermann, C.; Bieg, B.; Biel, W.; Borchardt, M.; Borowitz, G.; Borsuk, V.; Bozhenkov, S.; Brakel, R.; Brand, H.; Brown, T.; Brucker, B.; Burhenn, R.; Buscher, K.-P.; Caldwell-Nichols, C.; Cappa, A.; Cardella, A.; Carls, A.; Carvalho, P.; Ciupiński, Ł.; Cole, M.; Collienne, J.; Czarnecka, A.; Czymek, G.; Dammertz, G.; Dhard, C. P.; Davydenko, V. I.; Dinklage, A.; Drevlak, M.; Drotziger, S.; Dudek, A.; Dumortier, P.; Dundulis, G.; Eeten, P. v.; Egorov, K.; Estrada, T.; Faugel, H.; Fellinger, J.; Feng, Y.; Fernandes, H.; Fietz, W. H.; Figacz, W.; Fischer, F.; Fontdecaba, J.; Freund, A.; Funaba, T.; Fünfgelder, H.; Galkowski, A.; Gates, D.; Giannone, L.; García Regaña, J. M.; Geiger, J.; Geißler, S.; Greuner, H.; Grahl, M.; Groß, S.; Grosman, A.; Grote, H.; Grulke, O.; Haas, M.; Haiduk, L.; Hartfuß, H.-J.; Harris, J. H.; Haus, D.; Hein, B.; Heitzenroeder, P.; Helander, P.; Heller, R.; Hidalgo, C.; Hildebrandt, D.; Höhnle, H.; Holtz, A.; Holzhauer, E.; Holzthüm, R.; Huber, A.; Hunger, H.; Hurd, F.; Ihrke, M.; Illy, S.; Ivanov, A.; Jablonski, S.; Jaksic, N.; Jakubowski, M.; Jaspers, R.; Jensen, H.; Jenzsch, H.; Kacmarczyk, J.; Kaliatk, T.; Kallmeyer, J.; Kamionka, U.; Karaleviciu, R.; Kern, S.; Keunecke, M.; Kleiber, R.; Knauer, J.; Koch, R.; Kocsis, G.; Könies, A.; Köppen, M.; Koslowski, R.; Koshurinov, J.; Krämer-Flecken, A.; Krampitz, R.; Kravtsov, Y.; Krychowiak, M.; Krzesinski, G.; Ksiazek, I.; Kubkowska, M.; Kus, A.; Langish, S.; Laube, R.; Laux, M.; Lazerson, S.; Lennartz, M.; Li, C.; Lietzow, R.; Lohs, A.; Lorenz, A.; Louche, F.; Lubyako, L.; Lumsdaine, A.; Lyssoivan, A.; Maaßberg, H.; Marek, P.; Martens, C.; Marushchenko, N.; Mayer, M.; Mendelevitch, B.; Mertens, Ph.; Mikkelsen, D.; Mishchenko, A.; Missal, B.; Mizuuchi, T.; Modrow, H.; Mönnich, T.; Morizaki, T.; Murakami, S.; Musielok, F.; Nagel, M.; Naujoks, D.; Neilson, H.; Neubauer, O.; Neuner, U.; Nocentini, R.; Noterdaeme, J.-M.; Nührenberg, C.; Obermayer, S.; Offermanns, G.; Oosterbeek, H.; Otte, M.; Panin, A.; Pap, M.; Paquay, S.; Pasch, E.; Peng, X.; Petrov, S.; Pilopp, D.; Pirsch, H.; Plaum, B.; Pompon, F.; Povilaitis, M.; Preinhaelter, J.; Prinz, O.; Purps, F.; Rajna, T.; Récsei, S.; Reiman, A.; Reiter, D.; Remmel, J.; Renard, S.; Rhode, V.; Riemann, J.; Rimkevicius, S.; Riße, K.; Rodatos, A.; Rodin, I.; Romé, M.; Roscher, H.-J.; Rummel, K.; Rummel, Th.; Runov, A.; Ryc, L.; Sachtleben, J.; Samartsev, A.; Sanchez, M.; Sano, F.; Scarabosio, A.; Schmid, M.; Schmitz, H.; Schmitz, O.; Schneider, M.; Schneider, W.; Scheibl, L.; Scholz, M.; Schröder, G.; Schröder, M.; Schruff, J.; Schumacher, H.; Shikhovtsev, I. V.; Shoji, M.; Siegl, G.; Skodzik, J.; Smirnow, M.; Speth, E.; Spong, D. A.; Stadler, R.; Sulek, Z.; Szabó, V.; Szabolics, T.; Szetefi, T.; Szökefalvi-Nagy, Z.; Tereshchenko, A.; Thomsen, H.; Thumm, M.; Timmermann, D.; Tittes, H.; Toi, K.; Tournianski, M.; Toussaint, U. v.; Tretter, J.; Tulipán, S.; Turba, P.; Uhlemann, R.; Urban, J.; Urbonavicius, E.; Urlings, P.; Valet, S.; Van Eester, D.; Van Schoor, M.; Vervier, M.; Viebke, H.; Vilbrandt, R.; Vrancken, M.; Wauters, T.; Weissgerber, M.; Weiß, E.; Weller, A.; Wendorf, J.; Wenzel, U.; Windisch, T.; Winkler, E.; Winkler, M.; Wolowski, J.; Wolters, J.; Wrochna, G.; Xanthopoulos, P.; Yamada, H.; Yokoyama, M.; Zacharias, D.; Zajac, J.; Zangl, G.; Zarnstorff, M.; Zeplien, H.; Zoletnik, S.; Zuin, M.

2013-12-01

The next step in the Wendelstein stellarator line is the large superconducting device Wendelstein 7-X, currently under construction in Greifswald, Germany. Steady-state operation is an intrinsic feature of stellarators, and one key element of the Wendelstein 7-X mission is to demonstrate steady-state operation under plasma conditions relevant for a fusion power plant. Steady-state operation of a fusion device, on the one hand, requires the implementation of special technologies, giving rise to technical challenges during the design, fabrication and assembly of such a device. On the other hand, also the physics development of steady-state operation at high plasma performance poses a challenge and careful preparation. The electron cyclotron resonance heating system, diagnostics, experiment control and data acquisition are prepared for plasma operation lasting 30 min. This requires many new technological approaches for plasma heating and diagnostics as well as new concepts for experiment control and data acquisition.

Temperature-tuned Maxwell-Boltzmann neutron spectra for kT ranging from 30 up to 50 keV for nuclear astrophysics studies.

PubMed

Martín-Hernández, G; Mastinu, P F; Praena, J; Dzysiuk, N; Capote Noy, R; Pignatari, M

2012-08-01

The need of neutron capture cross section measurements for astrophysics motivates present work, where calculations to generate stellar neutron spectra at different temperatures are performed. The accelerator-based (7)Li(p,n)(7)Be reaction is used. Shaping the proton beam energy and the sample covering a specific solid angle, neutron activation for measuring stellar-averaged capture cross section can be done. High-quality Maxwell-Boltzmann neutron spectra are predicted. Assuming a general behavior of the neutron capture cross section a weighted fit of the spectrum to Maxwell-Boltzmann distributions is successfully introduced. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Anomalous neutron yield in indirect-drive inertial-confinement-fusion due to the formation of collisionless shocks in the corona

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Wen-Shuai; Cai, Hong-Bo; Shan, Lian-Qiang; Zhang, Hua-Sen; Gu, Yu-Qiu; Zhu, Shao-Ping

2017-06-01

Observations of anomalous neutron yield in the indirect-drive inertial confinement fusion implosion experiments conducted at SG-III prototype and SG-II upgrade laser facilities are interpreted. The anomalous mechanism results in a neutron yield which is 100-times higher than that predicted by 1D radiation-hydrodynamic simulations. 2D radiation-hydrodynamic simulations show that the supersonic, radially directed gold (Au) plasma jets arising from the laser-hohlraum interactions can collide with the carbon-deuterium (CD) corona plasma of the compressed pellet. It is found that in the interaction front of the high-Z jet with the low-Z corona, with low density  ˜{{10}20}~\\text{c}{{\\text{m}}-3} and high temperature  ˜keV, kinetic effects become important. Particle-in-cell simulations indicate that an electrostatic shock wave can be driven when the high-temperature Au jet expands into the low-temperature CD corona. Deuterium ions with an amount of  ˜1015 can be accelerated to  ˜25 keV by the collisionless shock wave, thus causing efficient neutron productions though the beam-target method by stopping these energetic ions in the corona. The evaluated neutron yield is consistent with the experiments conducted at SG laser facilities.

Simulating the effects of stellarator geometry on gyrokinetic drift-wave turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baumgaertel, Jessica Ann

Nuclear fusion is a clean, safe form of energy with abundant fuel. In magnetic fusion energy (MFE) experiments, the plasma fuel is confined by magnetic fields at very high temperatures and densities. One fusion reactor design is the non-axisymmetric, torus-shaped stellarator. Its fully-3D fields have advantages over the simpler, better-understood axisymmetric tokamak, including the ability to optimize magnetic configurations for desired properties, such as lower transport (longer confinement time). Turbulence in the plasma can break MFE confinement. While turbulent transport is known to cause a significant amount of heat loss in tokamaks, it is a new area of research in stellarators. Gyrokinetics is a good mathematical model of the drift-wave instabilities that cause turbulence. Multiple gyrokinetic turbulence codes that had great success comparing to tokamak experiments are being converted for use with stellarator geometry. This thesis describes such adaptations of the gyrokinetic turbulence code, GS2. Herein a new computational grid generator and upgrades to GS2 itself are described, tested, and benchmarked against three other gyrokinetic codes. Using GS2, detailed linear studies using the National Compact Stellarator Experiment (NCSX) geometry were conducted. The first compares stability in two equilibria with different β=(plasma pressure)/(magnetic pressure). Overall, the higher β case was more stable than the lower β case. As high β is important for MFE experiments, this is encouraging. The second compares NCSX linear stability to a tokamak case. NCSX was more stable with a 20% higher critical temperature gradient normalized by the minor radius, suggesting that the fusion power might be enhanced by ˜ 50%. In addition, the first nonlinear, non-axisymmetric GS2 simulations are presented. Finally, linear stability of two locations in a W7-AS plasma were compared. The experimentally-measured parameters used were from a W7-AS shot in which measured heat fluxes

Neutronic design studies of a conceptual DCLL fusion reactor for a DEMO and a commercial power plant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palermo, I.; Veredas, G.; Gómez-Ros, J. M.; Sanz, J.; Ibarra, A.

2016-01-01

Neutronic analyses or, more widely, nuclear analyses have been performed for the development of a dual-coolant He/LiPb (DCLL) conceptual design reactor. A detailed three-dimensional (3D) model has been examined and optimized. The design is based on the plasma parameters and functional materials of the power plant conceptual studies (PPCS) model C. The initial radial-build for the detailed model has been determined according to the dimensions established in a previous work on an equivalent simplified homogenized reactor model. For optimization purposes, the initial specifications established over the simplified model have been refined on the detailed 3D design, modifying material and dimension of breeding blanket, shield and vacuum vessel in order to fulfil the priority requirements of a fusion reactor in terms of the fundamental neutronic responses. Tritium breeding ratio, energy multiplication factor, radiation limits in the TF coils, helium production and displacements per atom (dpa) have been calculated in order to demonstrate the functionality and viability of the reactor design in guaranteeing tritium self-sufficiency, power efficiency, plasma confinement, and re-weldability and structural integrity of the components. The paper describes the neutronic design improvements of the DCLL reactor, obtaining results for both DEMO and power plant operational scenarios.

International strategy for fusion materials development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ehrlich, Karl; Bloom, E. E.; Kondo, T.

2000-12-01

In this paper, the results of an IEA-Workshop on Strategy and Planning of Fusion Materials Research and Development (R&D), held in October 1998 in Risø Denmark are summarised and further developed. Essential performance targets for materials to be used in first wall/breeding blanket components have been defined for the major materials groups under discussion: ferritic-martensitic steels, vanadium alloys and ceramic composites of the SiC/SiC-type. R&D strategies are proposed for their further development and qualification as reactor-relevant materials. The important role of existing irradiation facilities (mainly fission reactors) for materials testing within the next decade is described, and the limits for the transfer of results from such simulation experiments to fusion-relevant conditions are addressed. The importance of a fusion-relevant high-intensity neutron source for the development of structural as well as breeding and special purpose materials is elaborated and the reasons for the selection of an accelerator-driven D-Li-neutron source - the International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility (IFMIF) - as an appropriate test bed are explained. Finally the necessity to execute the materials programme for fusion in close international collaboration, presently promoted by the International Energy Agency, IEA is emphasised.

Trojan Horse Method for neutrons-induced reaction studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gulino, M.; Asfin Collaboration

2017-09-01

Neutron-induced reactions play an important role in nuclear astrophysics in several scenario, such as primordial Big Bang Nucleosynthesis, Inhomogeneous Big Bang Nucleosynthesis, heavy-element production during the weak component of the s-process, explosive stellar nucleosynthesis. To overcome the experimental problems arising from the production of a neutron beam, the possibility to use the Trojan Horse Method to study neutron-induced reactions has been investigated. The application is of particular interest for reactions involving radioactive nuclei having short lifetime.

W7-AS: One step of the Wendelstein stellarator linea)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wagner, F.; Bäumel, S.; Baldzuhn, J.; Basse, N.; Brakel, R.; Burhenn, R.; Dinklage, A.; Dorst, D.; Ehmler, H.; Endler, M.; Erckmann, V.; Feng, Y.; Gadelmeier, F.; Geiger, J.; Giannone, L.; Grigull, P.; Hartfuss, H.-J.; Hartmann, D.; Hildebrandt, D.; Hirsch, M.; Holzhauer, E.; Igitkhanov, Y.; Jänicke, R.; Kick, M.; Kislyakov, A.; Kisslinger, J.; Klinger, T.; Klose, S.; Knauer, J. P.; König, R.; Kühner, G.; Laqua, H. P.; Maassberg, H.; McCormick, K.; Niedermeyer, H.; Nührenberg, C.; Pasch, E.; Ramasubramanian, N.; Ruhs, N.; Rust, N.; Sallander, E.; Sardei, F.; Schubert, M.; Speth, E.; Thomsen, H.; Volpe, F.; Weller, A.; Werner, A.; Wobig, H.; Würsching, E.; Zarnstorff, M.; Zoletnik, S.

2005-07-01

This paper is a summary of some of the major results from the Wendelstein 7-AS stellarator (W7-AS). W7-AS [G. Grieger et al., Phys. Fluids B 4, 2081 (1992)] has demonstrated the feasibility of modular coils and has pioneered the island divertor and the modeling of its three-dimensional characteristics with the EMC3/EIRENE code [Y. Feng, F. Sardei et al., Plasma Phys. Controlled Fusion 44, 611 (2002)]. It has extended the operational range to high density (4×1020m-3 at 2.5T) and high ⟨β⟩ (3.4% at 0.9T); it has demonstrated successfully the application of electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) beyond cutoff via electron Bernstein wave heating, and it has utilized the toroidal variation of the magnetic field strength for ion cyclotron resonance frequency beach-wave heating. In preparation of W7-X [J. Nührenberg et al., Trans. Fusion Technol. 27, 71 (1995)], aspects of the optimization concept of the magnetic design have been successfully tested. W7-AS has accessed the H-mode, the first time in a "non-tokamak" and has extended H-mode operation toward high density by the discovery of the high-density H-mode (HDH), characterized by H-mode energy and L-mode-level impurity confinement. In the HDH-mode quasisteady state operation is possible close to operational limits without noticeable degradation in the plasma properties. High-β phases up to tpulse/τE=65 have been achieved, which can already be taken as an indication of the intrinsic stellarator capability of steady-state operation. Confinement issues will be discussed with emphasis on the similarities to tokamak confinement (general transport properties, H-mode transition physics) but also with respect to distinct differences (no confinement degradation toward operational boundaries, positive density scaling, lack of profile resilience, no distinct isotope effect, H-mode operational window). W7-AS turned out to be an important step in the development of the Wendelstein stellarator line towards an

Nuclear and Physical Properties of Dielectrics under Neutron Irradiation in Fast (BN-600) and Fusion (DEMO-S) Reactors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blokhin, D. A.; Chernov, V. M.; Blokhin, A. I.

2017-12-01

Nuclear and physical properties (activation and transmutation of elements) of BN and Al2O3 dielectric materials subjected to neutron irradiation for up to 5 years in Russian fast (BN-600) and fusion (DEMO-S) reactors were calculated using the ACDAM-2.0 software complex for different post-irradiation cooling times (up to 10 years). Analytical relations were derived for the calculated quantities. The results may be used in the analysis of properties of irradiated dielectric materials and may help establish the rules for safe handling of these materials.

Skyshine study for next generation of fusion devices

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gohar, Y.; Yang, S.

1987-02-01

A shielding analysis for next generation of fusion devices (ETR/INTOR) was performed to study the dose equivalent outside the reactor building during operation including the contribution from neutrons and photons scattered back by collisions with air nuclei (skyshine component). Two different three-dimensional geometrical models for a tokamak fusion reactor based on INTOR design parameters were developed for this study. In the first geometrical model, the reactor geometry and the spatial distribution of the deuterium-tritium neutron source were simplified for a parametric survey. The second geometrical model employed an explicit representation of the toroidal geometry of the reactor chamber and themore » spatial distribution of the neutron source. The MCNP general Monte Carlo code for neutron and photon transport was used to perform all the calculations. The energy distribution of the neutron source was used explicitly in the calculations with ENDF/B-V data. The dose equivalent results were analyzed as a function of the concrete roof thickness of the reactor building and the location outside the reactor building.« less

Plasma focus neutron anisotropy measurements and influence of a deuteron beam obstacle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Talebitaher, A.; Springham, S. V.; Rawat, R. S.; Lee, P.

2017-03-01

The deuterium-deuterium (DD) fusion neutron yield and anisotropy were measured on a shot-to-shot basis for the NX2 plasma focus (PF) device using two beryllium fast-neutron activation detectors at 0° and 90° to the PF axis. Measurements were performed for deuterium gas pressures in the range 6-16 mbar, and positive correlations between neutron yield and anisotropy were observed at all pressures. Subsequently, at one deuterium gas pressure (13 mbar), the contribution to the fusion yield produced by the forwardly-directed D+ ion beam, emitted from the plasma pinch, was investigated by using a circular Pyrex plate to obstruct the beam and suppress its fusion contribution. Neutron measurements were performed with the obstacle positioned at two distances from the anode tip, and also without the obstacle. It was found that 80% of the neutron yield originates in the plasma pinch column and just above that. In addition, proton pinhole imaging was performed from the 0° and 90° directions to the pinch. The obtained proton images are consistent with the conclusion that DD fusion is concentrated ( 80%) in the pinch column region.

Neutron capture and stellar synthesis of heavy elements.

PubMed

Gibbons, J H; Macklin, R L

1967-05-26

The neutron buildup processes of heavy-element synthesis in stars have left us a number of tantalizing nuclear clues to the early history of solarsystem material. Considerable illumination of our past history has been achieved through studying the correlations between abundance and neutroncapture cross section. Measurement of these cross sections required the development of new techniques for measuring time of flight of pulsed neutron beams. A clear conclusion is that many of our heavy elements were produced inside stars, which can be thought of as giant fast reactors. Extensions of these capture studies have given a clearer picture of additional. violent processes which produced some heavy elements, particularly thorium and uranium. In addition, the correlations have been used for obtaining an independent measure of the time that has elapsed since the solar-system material was synthesized. Finally, data on capture cross section relative to abundance will enable us to determine rather accurately the solar-system abundances of gaseous, volatile, and highly segregated elements.

Calculations to support JET neutron yield calibration: Modelling of neutron emission from a compact DT neutron generator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Čufar, Aljaž; Batistoni, Paola; Conroy, Sean; Ghani, Zamir; Lengar, Igor; Milocco, Alberto; Packer, Lee; Pillon, Mario; Popovichev, Sergey; Snoj, Luka; JET Contributors

2017-03-01

At the Joint European Torus (JET) the ex-vessel fission chambers and in-vessel activation detectors are used as the neutron production rate and neutron yield monitors respectively. In order to ensure that these detectors produce accurate measurements they need to be experimentally calibrated. A new calibration of neutron detectors to 14 MeV neutrons, resulting from deuterium-tritium (DT) plasmas, is planned at JET using a compact accelerator based neutron generator (NG) in which a D/T beam impinges on a solid target containing T/D, producing neutrons by DT fusion reactions. This paper presents the analysis that was performed to model the neutron source characteristics in terms of energy spectrum, angle-energy distribution and the effect of the neutron generator geometry. Different codes capable of simulating the accelerator based DT neutron sources are compared and sensitivities to uncertainties in the generator's internal structure analysed. The analysis was performed to support preparation to the experimental measurements performed to characterize the NG as a calibration source. Further extensive neutronics analyses, performed with this model of the NG, will be needed to support the neutron calibration experiments and take into account various differences between the calibration experiment and experiments using the plasma as a source of neutrons.

Response measurement of single-crystal chemical vapor deposition diamond radiation detector for intense X-rays aiming at neutron bang-time and neutron burn-history measurement on an inertial confinement fusion with fast ignition.

PubMed

Shimaoka, T; Kaneko, J H; Arikawa, Y; Isobe, M; Sato, Y; Tsubota, M; Nagai, T; Kojima, S; Abe, Y; Sakata, S; Fujioka, S; Nakai, M; Shiraga, H; Azechi, H; Chayahara, A; Umezawa, H; Shikata, S

2015-05-01

A neutron bang time and burn history monitor in inertial confinement fusion with fast ignition are necessary for plasma diagnostics. In the FIREX project, however, no detector attained those capabilities because high-intensity X-rays accompanied fast electrons used for plasma heating. To solve this problem, single-crystal CVD diamond was grown and fabricated into a radiation detector. The detector, which had excellent charge transportation property, was tested to obtain a response function for intense X-rays. The applicability for neutron bang time and burn history monitor was verified experimentally. Charge collection efficiency of 99.5% ± 0.8% and 97.1% ± 1.4% for holes and electrons were obtained using 5.486 MeV alpha particles. The drift velocity at electric field which saturates charge collection efficiency was 1.1 ± 0.4 × 10(7) cm/s and 1.0 ± 0.3 × 10(7) cm/s for holes and electrons. Fast response of several ns pulse width for intense X-ray was obtained at the GEKKO XII experiment, which is sufficiently fast for ToF measurements to obtain a neutron signal separately from X-rays. Based on these results, we confirmed that the single-crystal CVD diamond detector obtained neutron signal with good S/N under ion temperature 0.5-1 keV and neutron yield of more than 10(9) neutrons/shot.

Stellar neutron capture cross sections of 41K and 45Sc

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heil, M.; Plag, R.; Uberseder, E.; Bisterzo, S.; Käppeler, F.; Mengoni, A.; Pignatari, M.

2016-05-01

The neutron capture cross sections of light nuclei (A <56 ) are important for s -process scenarios since they act as neutron poisons. We report on measurements of the neutron capture cross sections of 41K and 45Sc, which were performed at the Karlsruhe 3.7 MV Van de Graaff accelerator via the activation method in a quasistellar neutron spectrum corresponding to a thermal energy of k T =25 keV. Systematic effects were controlled by repeated irradiations, resulting in overall uncertainties of less than 3%. The measured spectrum-averaged data have been used to normalize the energy-dependent (n ,γ ) cross sections from the main data libraries JEFF-3.2, JENDL-4.0, and ENDF/B-VII.1, and a set of Maxwellian averaged cross sections was calculated for improving the s -process nucleosynthesis yields in AGB stars and in massive stars. At k T =30 keV, the new Maxwellian averaged cross sections of 41K and 45Sc are 19.2 ±0.6 mb and 61.3 ±1.8 mb, respectively. Both values are 20% lower than previously recommended. The effect of neutron poisons is discussed for nuclei with A <56 in general and for the investigated isotopes in particular.

Radioactivity measurements of ITER materials using the TFTR D-T neutron field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, A.; Abdou, M. A.; Barnes, C. W.; Kugel, H. W.

1994-06-01

The availability of high D-T fusion neutron yields at TFTR has provided a useful opportunity to directly measure D-T neutron-induced radioactivity in a realistic tokamak fusion reactor environment for materials of vital interest to ITER. These measurements are valuable for characterizing radioactivity in various ITER candidate materials, for validating complex neutron transport calculations, and for meeting fusion reactor licensing requirements. The radioactivity measurements at TFTR involve potential ITER materials including stainless steel 316, vanadium, titanium, chromium, silicon, iron, cobalt, nickel, molybdenum, aluminum, copper, zinc, zirconium, niobium, and tungsten. Small samples of these materials were irradiated close to the plasma and just outside the vacuum vessel wall of TFTR, locations of different neutron energy spectra. Saturation activities for both threshold and capture reactions were measured. Data from dosimetric reactions have been used to obtain preliminary neutron energy spectra. Spectra from the first wall were compared to calculations from ITER and to measurements from accelerator-based tests.

High Energy Density Plasmas (HEDP) for studies of basic nuclear science relevant to Stellar and Big Bang Nucleosynthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frenje, Johan

2014-06-01

Thermonuclear reaction rates and nuclear processes have been explored traditionally by means of conventional accelerator experiments, which are difficult to execute at conditions relevant to stellar nucleosynthesis. Thus, nuclear reactions at stellar energies are often studied through extrapolations from higher-energy data or in low-background underground experiments. Even when measurements are possible using accelerators at relevant energies, thermonuclear reaction rates in stars are inherently different from those in accelerator experiments. The fusing nuclei are surrounded by bound electrons in accelerator experiments, whereas electrons occupy mainly continuum states in a stellar environment. Nuclear astrophysics research will therefore benefit from an enlarged toolkit for studies of nuclear reactions. In this presentation, we report on the first use of High Energy Density Plasmas for studies of nuclear reactions relevant to basic nuclear science, stellar and Big Bang nucleosynthesis. These experiments were carried out at the OMEGA laser facility at University of Rochester and the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, in which spherical capsules were irradiated with powerful lasers to compress and heat the fuel to high enough temperatures and densities for nuclear reactions to occur. Four experiments will be highlighted in this presentation. In the first experiment, the differential cross section for the elastic neutron-triton (n-T) scattering at 14.1 MeV was measured with significantly higher accuracy than achieved in accelerator experiments. In the second experiment, the T(t,2n)4He reaction, a mirror reaction to the 3He(3He,2p)4He reaction that plays an important role in the proton-proton chain that transforms hydrogen into ordinary 4He in stars like our Sun, was studied at energies in the range 15-40 keV. In the third experiment, the 3He+3He solar fusion reaction was studied directly, and in the fourth experiment, we

DANCEing with the Stars: Measuring Neutron Capture on Unstable Isotopes with DANCE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Couture, A.; Bond, E.; Bredeweg, T. A.

2009-03-10

Isotopes heavier than iron are known to be produced in stars through neutron capture processes. Two major processes, the slow (s) and rapid (r) processes are each responsible for 50% of the abundances of the heavy isotopes. The neutron capture cross sections of the isotopes on the s process path reveal information about the expected abundances of the elements as well as stellar conditions and dynamics. Until recently, measurements on unstable isotopes, which are most important for determining stellar temperatures and reaction flow, have not been experimentally feasible. The Detector for Advance Neutron Capture Experiments (DANCE) located at the Losmore » Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) was designed to perform time-of-flight neutron capture measurements on unstable isotopes for nuclear astrophysics, stockpile stewardship, and reactor development. DANCE is a 4-{pi}BaF{sub 2} scintillator array which can perform measurements on sub-milligram samples of isotopes with half-lives as short as a few hundred days. These cross sections are critical for advancing our understanding of the production of the heavy isotopes.« less

Neutron Spectroscopy on the National Ignition Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knauer, J. P.

2012-10-01

The performance of cryogenic fuel implosion experiments in progress at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) is measured by an experimental threshold factorfootnotetextM. J. Edwards et al., Phys. Plasmas 18, 051003 (2011). (ITFX) and a generalized Lawson Criterion.footnotetextC. D. Zhou and R. Betti, Phys. Plasmas 15, 102707 (2008); P. Y. Chang et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 135002 (2010); and R. Betti et al., Phys. Plasmas 17, 058102 (2010). The ITFX metric is determined by the fusion yield and the areal density of an assembled deuterium-tritium (DT) fuel mass. Typical neutron yields from NIF implosions are greater than 10^14 allowing the neutron energy spectrum to be measured with unprecedented precision. A NIF spectrum is composed of neutrons created by fusion (DT, DD, and TT reactions) and neutrons scattered by the dense, cold fuel layer. Neutron scattering is used to determine the areal density of a NIF implosion and is measured along four lines of sight by two neutron time-of-flight detectors, a neutron imaging system, and the magnetic recoil spectrometer. An accurate measurement of the instrument response function for these detectors allows for the routine production of neutron spectra showing DT fuel areal densities up to 1.3 g/cm^2. Spectra over neutron energies of 10 to 17 MeV show areal-density asymmetries of 20% that are inconsistent with simulations. New calibrations and analyses have expended the spectral coverage down to energies less than the deuterium backscatter edge (1.5 MeV for 14 MeV neutrons). These data and analyses are presented along with a compilation of other nuclear diagnostic data that show a larger-than-expected variation in the areal density over the cold fuel mass. This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Inertial Confinement Fusion under Cooperative Agreement No DE-FC52-08NA28302. In collaboration with NIC.

Development of the radial neutron camera system for the HL-2A tokamak

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, Y. P., E-mail: zhangyp@swip.ac.cn; Yang, J. W.; Liu, Yi

2016-06-15

A new radial neutron camera system has been developed and operated recently in the HL-2A tokamak to measure the spatial and time resolved 2.5 MeV D-D fusion neutron, enhancing the understanding of the energetic-ion physics. The camera mainly consists of a multichannel collimator, liquid-scintillation detectors, shielding systems, and a data acquisition system. Measurements of the D-D fusion neutrons using the camera have been successfully performed during the 2015 HL-2A experiment campaign. The measurements show that the distribution of the fusion neutrons in the HL-2A plasma has a peaked profile, suggesting that the neutral beam injection beam ions in the plasmamore » have a peaked distribution. It also suggests that the neutrons are primarily produced from beam-target reactions in the plasma core region. The measurement results from the neutron camera are well consistent with the results of both a standard {sup 235}U fission chamber and NUBEAM neutron calculations. In this paper, the new radial neutron camera system on HL-2A and the first experimental results are described.« less

Characterization of pulsed (plasma focus) neutron source with image plate and application to neutron radiography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andola, Sanjay; Niranjan, Ram; Shaikh, A. M.; Rout, R. K.; Kaushik, T. C.; Gupta, S. C.

2013-02-01

Plasma focus device of Mather type developed in house has been used first time for neutron radiography of different objects. The device gives (1.2±0.3) ×109 neutrons per pulse produced by D-D fusion reaction with a pulse width of 50±5 ns. The method involves exposing sample to be radiographed to thermalized D-D neutrons and recording the image on Fuji-film BAS-ND image plates. The thermal neutron component of the moderated beam was estimated using two image plates: a conventional IP for X-rays and gamma rays, and an IP doped with Gd for detecting neutrons.

Characterization of pulsed (plasma focus) neutron source with image plate and application to neutron radiography

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Andola, Sanjay; Niranjan, Ram; Rout, R. K.

Plasma focus device of Mather type developed in house has been used first time for neutron radiography of different objects. The device gives (1.2{+-}0.3) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 9} neutrons per pulse produced by D-D fusion reaction with a pulse width of 50{+-}5 ns. The method involves exposing sample to be radiographed to thermalized D-D neutrons and recording the image on Fuji-film BAS-ND image plates. The thermal neutron component of the moderated beam was estimated using two image plates: a conventional IP for X-rays and gamma rays, and an IP doped with Gd for detecting neutrons.

Stellar black holes in globular clusters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kulkarni, S. R.; Hut, Piet; Mcmillan, Steve

1993-01-01

The recent discovery of large populations of millisec pulsars associated with neutron stars in globular clusters indicates that several hundred stellar black holes of about 10 solar masses each can form within a typical cluster. While, in clusters of high central density, the rapid dynamical evolution of the black-hole population leads to an ejection of nearly all holes on a short timescale, systems of intermediate density may involve a normal star's capture by one of the surviving holes to form a low-mass X-ray binary. One or more such binaries may be found in the globular clusters surrounding our galaxy.

Stellar Abundance Observations and Heavy Element Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cowan, J. J.

2005-05-01

Abundance observations indicate the presence of rapid-neutron capture (i.e., r-process) elements in old Galactic halo and globular cluster stars. These observations provide insight into the nature of the earliest generations of stars in the Galaxy -- the progenitors of the halo stars -- responsible for neutron-capture synthesis of the heavy elements. Abundance comparisons among the r-process-rich halo stars show that the heaviest neutron-capture elements (i.e., Ba and above) are consistent with a scaled solar system r-process abundance distribution, while the lighter neutron-capture elements do not conform to the solar pattern. These comparisons suggest the possibility of two r-process sites in stars. The large star-to-star scatter observed in the abundances of neutron-capture element/iron ratios at low metallicities -- which disappears with increasing metallicity or [Fe/H] -- suggests the formation of these heavy elements (presumably from certain types of supernovae) was rare in the early Galaxy. The stellar abundances also indicate a change from the r-process to the slow neutron capture (i.e., s-) process at higher metallicities in the Galaxy and provide insight into Galactic chemical evolution. Finally, the detection of thorium and uranium in halo and globular cluster stars offers an independent age-dating technique that can put lower limits on the age of the Galaxy, and hence the Universe. This work has been supported in part by NSF grant AST 03-07279 (J.J.C.) and by STScI grants GO-8111, GO-8342 and GO-9359.

Disk Accretion and the Stellar Birthline

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hartmann, Lee; Cassen, Patrick; Kenyon, Scott J.

1997-02-01

We present a simplified analysis of some effects of disk accretion on the early evolution of fully convective, low-mass pre-main-sequence stars. Our analysis builds on the previous seminal work of Stahler, but it differs in that the accretion of material occurs over a small area of the stellar surface, such as through a disk or magnetospheric accretion column, so that most of the stellar photosphere is free to radiate to space. This boundary condition is similar to the limiting case considered by Palla & Stahler for intermediate-mass stars. We argue that for a wide variety of disk mass accretion rates, material will be added to the star with relatively small amounts of thermal energy. Protostellar evolution calculated assuming this ``low-temperature'' limit of accretion generally follows the results of Stahler because of the thermostatic nature of deuterium fusion, which prevents protostars from contracting below a ``birthline'' in the H-R diagram. Our calculated protostellar radii tend to fall below Stahler's at higher masses; the additional energy loss from the stellar photosphere in the case of disk accretion tends to make the protostar contract. The low-temperature disk accretion evolutionary tracks never fall below the deuterium-fusion birthline until the internal deuterium is depleted, but protostellar tracks can lie above the birthline in the H-R diagram if the initial radius of the protostellar core is large enough or if rapid disk accretion (such as might occur during FU Ori outbursts) adds significant amounts of thermal energy to the star. These possibilities cannot be ruled out by either theoretical arguments or observational constraints at present, so that individual protostars might evolve along a multiplicity of birthlines with a modest range of luminosity at a given mass. Our results indicate that there are large uncertainties in assigning ages for the youngest stars from H-R diagram positions, given the uncertainty in birthline positions. Our

Synthetic neutron camera and spectrometer in JET based on AFSI-ASCOT simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sirén, P.; Varje, J.; Weisen, H.; Koskela, T.; contributors, JET

2017-09-01

The ASCOT Fusion Source Integrator (AFSI) has been used to calculate neutron production rates and spectra corresponding to the JET 19-channel neutron camera (KN3) and the time-of-flight spectrometer (TOFOR) as ideal diagnostics, without detector-related effects. AFSI calculates fusion product distributions in 4D, based on Monte Carlo integration from arbitrary reactant distribution functions. The distribution functions were calculated by the ASCOT Monte Carlo particle orbit following code for thermal, NBI and ICRH particle reactions. Fusion cross-sections were defined based on the Bosch-Hale model and both DD and DT reactions have been included. Neutrons generated by AFSI-ASCOT simulations have already been applied as a neutron source of the Serpent neutron transport code in ITER studies. Additionally, AFSI has been selected to be a main tool as the fusion product generator in the complete analysis calculation chain: ASCOT - AFSI - SERPENT (neutron and gamma transport Monte Carlo code) - APROS (system and power plant modelling code), which encompasses the plasma as an energy source, heat deposition in plant structures as well as cooling and balance-of-plant in DEMO applications and other reactor relevant analyses. This conference paper presents the first results and validation of the AFSI DD fusion model for different auxiliary heating scenarios (NBI, ICRH) with very different fast particle distribution functions. Both calculated quantities (production rates and spectra) have been compared with experimental data from KN3 and synthetic spectrometer data from ControlRoom code. No unexplained differences have been observed. In future work, AFSI will be extended for synthetic gamma diagnostics and additionally, AFSI will be used as part of the neutron transport calculation chain to model real diagnostics instead of ideal synthetic diagnostics for quantitative benchmarking.

A possible approach to 14MeV neutron moderation: A preliminary study case.

PubMed

Flammini, D; Pilotti, R; Pietropaolo, A

2017-07-01

Deuterium-Tritium (D-T) interactions produce almost monochromatic neutrons with about 14MeV energy. These neutrons are used in benchmark experiments as well as for neutron cross sections assessment in fusion reactors technology. The possibility to moderate 14MeV neutrons for purposes beyond fusion is worth to be studied in relation to projects of intense D-T sources. In this preliminary study, carried out using the MCNP Monte Carlo code, the moderation of 14MeV neutrons is approached foreseeing the use of combination of metallic materials as pre-moderator and reflectors coupled to standard water moderators. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Global linear gyrokinetic simulation of energetic particle-driven instabilities in the LHD stellarator

DOE PAGES

Spong, Donald A.; Holod, Ihor; Todo, Y.; ...

2017-06-23

Energetic particles are inherent to toroidal fusion systems and can drive instabilities in the Alfvén frequency range, leading to decreased heating efficiency, high heat fluxes on plasma-facing components, and decreased ignition margin. The applicability of global gyrokinetic simulation methods to macroscopic instabilities has now been demonstrated and it is natural to extend these methods to 3D configurations such as stellarators, tokamaks with 3D coils and reversed field pinch helical states. This has been achieved by coupling the GTC global gyrokinetic PIC model to the VMEC equilibrium model, including 3D effects in the field solvers and particle push. Here, this papermore » demonstrates the application of this new capability to the linearized analysis of Alfvénic instabilities in the LHD stellarator. For normal shear iota profiles, toroidal Alfvén instabilities in the n = 1 and 2 toroidal mode families are unstable with frequencies in the 75 to 110 kHz range. Also, an LHD case with non-monotonic shear is considered, indicating reductions in growth rate for the same energetic particle drive. Finally, since 3D magnetic fields will be present to some extent in all fusion devices, the extension of gyrokinetic models to 3D configurations is an important step for the simulation of future fusion systems.« less

Stellar structure model in hydrostatic equilibrium in the context of f({\\mathscr{R}})-gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

André, Raíla; Kremer, Gilberto M.

2017-12-01

In this work we present a stellar structure model from the f({\\mathscr{R}})-gravity point of view capable of describing some classes of stars (white dwarfs, brown dwarfs, neutron stars, red giants and the Sun). This model is based on f({\\mathscr{R}})-gravity field equations for f({\\mathscr{R}})={\\mathscr{R}}+{f}2{{\\mathscr{R}}}2, hydrostatic equilibrium equation and a polytropic equation of state. We compare the results obtained with those found by Newtonian theory. It has been observed that in these systems, where high curvature regimes emerge, stellar structure equations undergo modifications. Despite the simplicity of this model, the results are satisfactory. The estimated values of pressure, density and temperature of the stars are within those determined by observations. This f({\\mathscr{R}})-gravity model has proved to be necessary to describe stars with strong fields such as white dwarfs, neutron stars and brown dwarfs, while stars with weaker fields, such as red giants and the Sun, are best described by Newtonian theory.

The effect of turbulent kinetic energy on inferred ion temperature from neutron spectra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murphy, T. J.

2014-07-01

Measuring the width of the energy spectrum of fusion-produced neutrons from deuterium (DD) or deuterium-tritium (DT) plasmas is a commonly used method for determining the ion temperature in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) implosions. In a plasma with a Maxwellian distribution of ion energies, the spread in neutron energy arises from the thermal spread in the center-of-mass velocities of reacting pairs of ions. Fluid velocities in ICF are of a similar magnitude as the center-of-mass velocities and can lead to further broadening of the neutron spectrum, leading to erroneous inference of ion temperature. Motion of the reacting plasma will affect DD and DT neutrons differently, leading to disagreement between ion temperatures inferred from the two reactions. This effect may be a contributor to observations over the past decades of ion temperatures higher than expected from simulations, ion temperatures in disagreement with observed yields, and different temperatures measured in the same implosion from DD and DT neutrons. This difference in broadening of DD and DT neutrons also provides a measure of turbulent motion in a fusion plasma.

Electron-capture Rates for pf-shell Nuclei in Stellar Environments and Nucleosynthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suzuki, Toshio; Honma, Michio; Mori, Kanji; Famiano, Michael A.; Kajino, Toshitaka; Hidakai, Jun; Otsuka, Takaharu

Gamow-Teller strengths in pf-shell nuclei obtained by a new shell-model Hamltonian, GXPF1J, are used to evaluate electron-capture rates in pf-shell nuclei at stellar environments. The nuclear weak rates with GXPF1J, which are generally smaller than previous evaluations for proton-rich nuclei, are applied to nucleosynthesis in type Ia supernova explosions. The updated rates are found to lead to less production of neutron-rich nuclei such as 58Ni and 54Cr, thus toward a solution of the problem of over-production of neutron-rich isotopes of iron-group nuclei compared to the solar abundance.

Scientific and technical challenges on the road towards fusion electricity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donné, A. J. H.; Federici, G.; Litaudon, X.; McDonald, D. C.

2017-10-01

The goal of the European Fusion Roadmap is to deliver fusion electricity to the grid early in the second half of this century. It breaks the quest for fusion energy into eight missions, and for each of them it describes a research and development programme to address all the open technical gaps in physics and technology and estimates the required resources. It points out the needs to intensify industrial involvement and to seek all opportunities for collaboration outside Europe. The roadmap covers three periods: the short term, which runs parallel to the European Research Framework Programme Horizon 2020, the medium term and the long term. ITER is the key facility of the roadmap as it is expected to achieve most of the important milestones on the path to fusion power. Thus, the vast majority of present resources are dedicated to ITER and its accompanying experiments. The medium term is focussed on taking ITER into operation and bringing it to full power, as well as on preparing the construction of a demonstration power plant DEMO, which will for the first time demonstrate fusion electricity to the grid around the middle of this century. Building and operating DEMO is the subject of the last roadmap phase: the long term. Clearly, the Fusion Roadmap is tightly connected to the ITER schedule. Three key milestones are the first operation of ITER, the start of the DT operation in ITER and reaching the full performance at which the thermal fusion power is 10 times the power put in to the plasma. The Engineering Design Activity of DEMO needs to start a few years after the first ITER plasma, while the start of the construction phase will be a few years after ITER reaches full performance. In this way ITER can give viable input to the design and development of DEMO. Because the neutron fluence in DEMO will be much higher than in ITER, it is important to develop and validate materials that can handle these very high neutron loads. For the testing of the materials, a

Conceptual design of the early implementation of the NEutron Detector Array (NEDA) with AGATA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hüyük, Tayfun; Di Nitto, Antonio; Jaworski, Grzegorz; Gadea, Andrés; Javier Valiente-Dobón, José; Nyberg, Johan; Palacz, Marcin; Söderström, Pär-Anders; Jose Aliaga-Varea, Ramon; de Angelis, Giacomo; Ataç, Ayşe; Collado, Javier; Domingo-Pardo, Cesar; Egea, Francisco Javier; Erduran, Nizamettin; Ertürk, Sefa; de France, Gilles; Gadea, Rafael; González, Vicente; Herrero-Bosch, Vicente; Kaşkaş, Ayşe; Modamio, Victor; Moszynski, Marek; Sanchis, Enrique; Triossi, Andrea; Wadsworth, Robert

2016-03-01

The NEutron Detector Array (NEDA) project aims at the construction of a new high-efficiency compact neutron detector array to be coupled with large γ-ray arrays such as AGATA. The application of NEDA ranges from its use as selective neutron multiplicity filter for fusion-evaporation reaction to a large solid angle neutron tagging device. In the present work, possible configurations for the NEDA coupled with the Neutron Wall for the early implementation with AGATA has been simulated, using Monte Carlo techniques, in order to evaluate their performance figures. The goal of this early NEDA implementation is to improve, with respect to previous instruments, efficiency and capability to select multiplicity for fusion-evaporation reaction channels in which 1, 2 or 3 neutrons are emitted. Each NEDA detector unit has the shape of a regular hexagonal prism with a volume of about 3.23l and it is filled with the EJ301 liquid scintillator, that presents good neutron- γ discrimination properties. The simulations have been performed using a fusion-evaporation event generator that has been validated with a set of experimental data obtained in the 58Ni + 56Fe reaction measured with the Neutron Wall detector array.

How to improve the irradiation conditions for the International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daum, Eric

2000-12-01

The accelerator-based intense D-Li neutron source International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility (IFMIF) provides very suitable irradiation conditions for fusion materials development with the attractive option of accelerated irradiations. Investigations show that a neutron moderator made of tungsten and placed in the IFMIF test cell can further improve the irradiation conditions. The moderator softens the IFMIF neutron spectrum by enhancing the fraction of low energy neutrons. For displacement damage, the ratio of point defects to cascades is more DEMO relevant and for tritium production in Li-based breeding ceramic materials it leads to a preferred production via the 6Li(n,t) 4He channel as it occurs in a DEMO breeding blanket.

On Stellar Winds as a Source of Mass: Applying Bondi-Hoyle-Lyttleton Accretion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Detweiler, L. G.; Yates, K.; Siem, E.

2017-12-01

The interaction between planets orbiting stars and the stellar wind that stars emit is investigated and explored. The main goal of this research is to devise a method of calculating the amount of mass accumulated by an arbitrary planet from the stellar wind of its parent star via accretion processes. To achieve this goal, the Bondi-Hoyle-Lyttleton (BHL) mass accretion rate equation and model is employed. In order to use the BHL equation, various parameters of the stellar wind is required to be known, including the velocity, density, and speed of sound of the wind. In order to create a method that is applicable to arbitrary planets orbiting arbitrary stars, Eugene Parker's isothermal stellar wind model is used to calculate these stellar wind parameters. In an isothermal wind, the speed of sound is simple to compute, however the velocity and density equations are transcendental and so the solutions must be approximated using a numerical approximation method. By combining Eugene Parker's isothermal stellar wind model with the BHL accretion equation, a method for computing planetary accretion rates inside a star's stellar wind is realized. This method is then applied to a variety of scenarios. First, this method is used to calculate the amount of mass that our solar system's planets will accrete from the solar wind throughout our Sun's lifetime. Then, some theoretical situations are considered. We consider the amount of mass various brown dwarfs would accrete from the solar wind of our Sun throughout its lifetime if they were orbiting the Sun at Jupiter's distance. For very high mass brown dwarfs, a significant amount of mass is accreted. In the case of the brown dwarf 15 Sagittae B, it actually accretes enough mass to surpass the mass limit for hydrogen fusion. Since 15 Sagittae B is orbiting a star that is very similar to our Sun, this encouraged making calculations for 15 Sagittae B orbiting our Sun at its true distance from its star, 15 Sagittae. It was found that

Response measurement of single-crystal chemical vapor deposition diamond radiation detector for intense X-rays aiming at neutron bang-time and neutron burn-history measurement on an inertial confinement fusion with fast ignition

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shimaoka, T., E-mail: t.shimaoka@eng.hokudai.ac.jp; Kaneko, J. H.; Tsubota, M.

A neutron bang time and burn history monitor in inertial confinement fusion with fast ignition are necessary for plasma diagnostics. In the FIREX project, however, no detector attained those capabilities because high-intensity X-rays accompanied fast electrons used for plasma heating. To solve this problem, single-crystal CVD diamond was grown and fabricated into a radiation detector. The detector, which had excellent charge transportation property, was tested to obtain a response function for intense X-rays. The applicability for neutron bang time and burn history monitor was verified experimentally. Charge collection efficiency of 99.5% ± 0.8% and 97.1% ± 1.4% for holes andmore » electrons were obtained using 5.486 MeV alpha particles. The drift velocity at electric field which saturates charge collection efficiency was 1.1 ± 0.4 × 10{sup 7} cm/s and 1.0 ± 0.3 × 10{sup 7} cm/s for holes and electrons. Fast response of several ns pulse width for intense X-ray was obtained at the GEKKO XII experiment, which is sufficiently fast for ToF measurements to obtain a neutron signal separately from X-rays. Based on these results, we confirmed that the single-crystal CVD diamond detector obtained neutron signal with good S/N under ion temperature 0.5–1 keV and neutron yield of more than 10{sup 9} neutrons/shot.« less

Testing the Universality of the Stellar IMF with Chandra and HST

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coulter, D. A.; Lehmer, B. D.; Eufrasio, R. T.; Kundu, A.; Maccarone, T.; Peacock, M.; Hornschemeier, A. E.; Basu-Zych, A.; Gonzalez, A. H.; Maraston, C.;

Observational Evidence for High Neutronization in Supernova Remnants: Implications for Type Ia Supernova Progenitors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Martínez-Rodríguez, Héctor; Badenes, Carles; Andrews, Brett

The physical process whereby a carbon–oxygen white dwarf explodes as a Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) remains highly uncertain. The degree of neutronization in SN Ia ejecta holds clues to this process because it depends on the mass and the metallicity of the stellar progenitor, and on the thermodynamic history prior to the explosion. We report on a new method to determine ejecta neutronization using Ca and S lines in the X-ray spectra of Type Ia supernova remnants (SNRs). Applying this method to Suzaku data of Tycho, Kepler , 3C 397, and G337.2−0.7 in the Milky Way, and N103B inmore » the Large Magellanic Cloud, we find that the neutronization of the ejecta in N103B is comparable to that of Tycho and Kepler , which suggests that progenitor metallicity is not the only source of neutronization in SNe Ia. We then use a grid of SN Ia explosion models to infer the metallicities of the stellar progenitors of our SNRs. The implied metallicities of 3C 397, G337.2−0.7, and N103B are major outliers compared to the local stellar metallicity distribution functions, indicating that progenitor metallicity can be ruled out as the origin of neutronization for these SNRs. Although the relationship between ejecta neutronization and equivalent progenitor metallicity is subject to uncertainties stemming from the {sup 12}C + {sup 16}O reaction rate, which affects the Ca/S mass ratio, our main results are not sensitive to these details.« less

132Sn+96Zr reaction: A study of fusion enhancement/hindrance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vinodkumar, A. M.; Loveland, W.; Neeway, J. J.; Prisbrey, L.; Sprunger, P. H.; Peterson, D.; Liang, J. F.; Shapira, D.; Gross, C. J.; Varner, R. L.; Kolata, J. J.; Roberts, A.; Caraley, A. L.

2008-11-01

Capture-fission cross sections were measured for the collision of the massive nucleus Sn132 with Zr96 at center-of-mass energies ranging from 192.8 to 249.6 MeV in an attempt to study fusion enhancement and hindrance in this reaction involving very neutron-rich nuclei. Coincident fission fragments were detected using silicon detectors. Using angle and energy conditions, deep inelastic scattering events were separated from fission events. Coupled-channels calculations can describe the data if the surface diffuseness parameter, a, is allowed to be 1.10 fm instead of the customary 0.6 fm. The measured capture-fission cross sections agree moderately well with model calculations using the dinuclear system model. If we use this model to predict fusion barrier heights for these reactions, we find the predicted fusion hindrance, as represented by the extra push energy, is greater for the more neutron-rich system, lessening the advantage of the lower interaction barriers with neutron-rich projectiles.

Stellar Neutron Capture Cross Sections of the Lu and Hf Isotopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wisshak, K.; Voss, F.; Käppeler, F.; Kazakov, L.; Krtička, M.

2005-05-01

The neutron capture cross sections of 175,176Lu and 176,177,178,179,180Hf have been measured in the energy range from 3 to 225 keV at the Karlsruhe 3.7 MV Van de Graaff accelerator relative to the gold standard. Neutrons were produced by the 7Li(p,n)7Be reaction and capture events were detected by the Karlsruhe 4πBaF2 detector. The cross section ratios could be determined with uncertainties between 0.9 and 1.8% about a factor of five more accurate than previous data. A strong population of isomeric states was found in neutron capture of the Hf isotopes, which are only partially explained by CASINO/GEANT simulations based on the known level schemes. Maxwellian averaged neutron capture cross sections were calculated for thermal energies between kT = 8 keV and 100 keV. Severe differences up to40% were found to the data of a recent evaluation based on existing experimental results. The new data allow for a much more reliable analysis of the important branching in the s-process synthesis path at 176Lu which can be interpreted as an s-process thermometer.

Universes without the weak force: Astrophysical processes with stable neutrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grohs, E.; Howe, Alex R.; Adams, Fred C.

2018-02-01

We investigate a class of universes in which the weak interaction is not in operation. We consider how astrophysical processes are altered in the absence of weak forces, including big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN), galaxy formation, molecular cloud assembly, star formation, and stellar evolution. Without weak interactions, neutrons no longer decay, and the universe emerges from its early epochs with a mixture of protons, neutrons, deuterium, and helium. The baryon-to-photon ratio must be smaller than the canonical value in our Universe to allow free nucleons to survive the BBN epoch without being incorporated into heavier nuclei. At later times, the free neutrons readily combine with protons to make deuterium in sufficiently dense parts of the interstellar medium, and provide a power source before they are incorporated into stars. Almost all of the neutrons are incorporated into deuterium nuclei before stars are formed. As a result, stellar evolution proceeds primarily through strong interactions, with deuterium first burning into helium, and then helium fusing into carbon. Low-mass deuterium-burning stars can be long-lived, and higher-mass stars can synthesize the heavier elements necessary for life. Although somewhat different from our own, such universes remain potentially habitable.

NUCLEAR HEATING IN LIF DOSEMETERS IN A FUSION NEUTRON FIELD, TRIAL OF DIRECT COMPARISON OF EXPERIMENTAL AND SIMULATED RESULTS.

PubMed

Pohorecki, Wladyslaw; Obryk, Barbara

2017-09-29

The results of nuclear heating measured by means of thermoluminescent dosemeters (TLD-LiF) in a Cu block irradiated by 14 MeV neutrons are presented. The integral Cu experiment relevant for verification of copper nuclear data at neutron energies characteristic for fusion facilities was performed in the ENEA FNG Laboratory at Frascati. Five types of TLDs were used: highly photon sensitive LiF:Mg,Cu,P (MCP-N), 7LiF:Mg,Cu,P (MCP-7) and standard, lower sensitivity LiF:Mg,Ti (MTS-N), 7LiF:Mg,Ti (MTS-7) and 6LiF:Mg,Ti (MTS-6). Calibration of the detectors was performed with gamma rays in terms of air-kerma (10 mGy of 137Cs air-kerma). Nuclear heating in the Cu block was also calculated with the use of MCNP transport code Nuclear heating in Cu and air in TLD's positions was calculated as well. The nuclear heating contribution from all simulated by MCNP6 code particles including protons, deuterons, alphas tritons and heavier ions produced by the neutron interactions were calculated. A trial of the direct comparison between experimental results and results of simulation was performed. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

On the Possibility of Creating a Point-Like Neutron Source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Golubev, S. V.; Skalyga, V. A.; Izotov, I. V.; Sidorov, A. V.; Razin, S. V.; Shaposhnikov, R. A.; Lapin, R. L.; Bokhanov, A. F.; Kazakov, M. Yu.

2018-03-01

We consider the possibility of creating a compact high-power neutron generator with a small emitting area (of the order of 100 μm) and a neutron yield of 1010s-1 on the basis of a deuterium-deuterium fusion reaction (or 1012 s-1 on the basis of a deuterium-tritium fusion reaction). The fusion takes place under bombardment of a deuterium- (or tritium-) saturated target by a high-current (about 100 mA) focused deuterium ion beam with an energy of 100 keV. The ion beam with total current at a level of hundreds of milliamperes and small emittance (less than 0.1 π·mm·mrad), which is crucial for sharp focusing, can be generated by a quasi-gas-dynamic ion source of a new generation created on the basis of a discharge in an open magnetic trap sustained by high-power electromagnetic radiation of the millimeter wavelength range under electron cyclotron resonance conditions. Simulations of the focusing system for the experimentally obtained ion beam show the possibility to create a deuterium ion beam with a transverse size of 200 μm on the neutron-forming target. Prospects for using such a neutron source for neutron tomography are discussed.

Efficient neutron generation from solid-nanoparticle explosions driven by DPSSL-pumped high-repetition rate femtosecond laser pulse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watari, T.; Matsukado, K.; Sekine, T.; Takeuchi, Y.; Hatano, Y.; Yoshimura, R.; Satoh, N.; Nishihara, K.; Takagi, M.; Kawashima, T.

2016-03-01

We propose novel neutron source using high-intensity laser based on the cluster fusion scheme. We developed DPSSL-pumped high-repetition-rate 20-TW laser system and solid nanoparticle target for neutron generation demonstration. In our neutron generation experiment, high-energy deuterons were generated from coulomb explosion of CD solid- nanoparticles and neutrons were generated by DD fusion reaction. Efficient and stable neutron generation was obtained by irradiating an intense femtosecond laser pulse of >2×1018 W/cm2. A yield of ∼105 neutrons per shot was stably observed during 0.1-1 Hz continuous operation.

Radiative neutron capture cross sections on 176Lu at DANCE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roig, O.; Jandel, M.; Méot, V.; Bond, E. M.; Bredeweg, T. A.; Couture, A. J.; Haight, R. C.; Keksis, A. L.; Rundberg, R. S.; Ullmann, J. L.; Vieira, D. J.

2016-03-01

The cross section of the neutron capture reaction 176Lu(n ,γ ) has been measured for a wide incident neutron energy range with the Detector for Advanced Neutron Capture Experiments at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center. The thermal neutron capture cross section was determined to be (1912 ±132 ) b for one of the Lu natural isotopes, 176Lu. The resonance part was measured and compared to the Mughabghab's atlas using the R -matrix code, sammy. At higher neutron energies the measured cross sections are compared to ENDF/B-VII.1, JEFF-3.2, and BRC evaluated nuclear data. The Maxwellian averaged cross sections in a stellar plasma for thermal energies between 5 keV and 100 keV were extracted using these data.

Non-electric applications for magneto-inertial fusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slough, John

2016-10-01

In addition to the generation of commercial electric power, there are several other applications for an intense pulse of neutrons that would be produced by magneto-inertial fusion (MIF) systems. Many of these applications can be achieved without the need for a fully developed reactor at high gain, and could thus be pursued at a much earlier stage of development which would dramatically reduce the risk of the long-term development and concern for the expense of an all-encompassing, single use system such as the tokamak or stellerator. A short list of applications well suited for MIF would include: (1) production of radioisotopes for medical applications and research, (2) efficient, high power propulsion through direct fusion heating of lithium propellants (3) Noninvasive interrogation of objects for homeland security (4) neutron radiography and tomography (5) destruction of long-lived radioactive waste, and (6) breeding of proliferation proof fissile fuel for existing nuclear reactors. These applications could all be pursued at lower neutron yield, but clearly the energy goals are by far the most significant and far reaching such as applying fusion energy as a hybrid to enable thorium cycle reactors which produce very little waste compared to the current uranium reactors. A discussion of how MIF could be configured and utilized to realize several of these uses will be discussed.

The ^132Sn + ^96Zr reaction: a study of fusion enhancement/hindrance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loveland, Walter; Vinodkumar, A. M.; Neeway, James; Sprunger, Peter; Prisbrey, Landon; Peterson, Donald; Liang, J. F.; Shapira, Dan; Gross, C. J.; Varner, R. L.; Kolata, J. J.; Roberts, A.; Caraley, A. L.

2008-10-01

Capture-fission cross sections were measured for the collision of the massive nucleus ^132Sn with ^96Zr at center of mass energies ranging from 192.8 to 249.6 MeV in an attempt to study fusion enhancement and hindrance in this reaction involving very neutron-rich nuclei. Coincident fission fragments were detected using silicon detectors. Using angle and energy conditions, deep inelastic scattering events were separated from fission events. Coupled channels calculations can describe the data if the surface diffuseness parameter, a, is allowed to be 1.10 fm, instead of the customary 0.6 fm. The measured capture-fission cross sections agree moderately well with model calculations using the dinuclear system (DNS) model. If we use this model to predict fusion barrier heights for these reactions, we find the predicted fusion hindrance, as represented by the extra push energy, is greater for the more neutron-rich system, lessening the advantage of the lower interaction barriers with neutron rich projectiles.

Examining the role of transfer coupling in sub-barrier fusion of Ti 46 , 50 + Sn 124

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liang, J. Felix; Allmond, J. M.; Gross, C. J.

2016-08-24

In this study, the presence of neutron transfer channels with positive Q values can enhance sub-barrier fusion cross sections. Recent measurements of the fusion excitation functions for 58Ni+ 132,124Sn found that the fusion enhancement due to the influence of neutron transfer is smaller than that in 40Ca + 132,124Sn although the Q values for multineutron transfer are comparable. The purpose of this study is to investigate the differences observed between the fusion of Sn + Ni and Sn + Ca. Methods: Fusion excitation functions for 46,50Ti + 124Sn have been measured at energies near the Coulomb barrier. As a result,more » a comparison of the barrier distributions for 46Ti+ 124Sn and 40Ca+ 124Sn shows that the 40Ca+ 124Sn system has a barrier strength resulting from the coupling to the very collective octupole state in 40Ca at an energy significantly lower than the uncoupled barrier. In conclusion, the large sub-barrier fusion enhancement in 40Ca induced reactions is attributed to both couplings to neutron transfer and inelastic excitation, with the octupole vibration of 40Ca playing a major role.« less

Effect of neutron energy and fluence on deuterium retention behaviour in neutron irradiated tungsten

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fujita, Hiroe; Yuyama, Kenta; Li, Xiaochun; Hatano, Yuji; Toyama, Takeshi; Ohta, Masayuki; Ochiai, Kentaro; Yoshida, Naoaki; Chikada, Takumi; Oya, Yasuhisa

2016-02-01

Deuterium (D) retention behaviours for 14 MeV neutron irradiated tungsten (W) and fission neutron irradiated W were evaluated by thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS) to elucidate the correlation between D retention and defect formation by different energy distributions of neutrons in W at the initial stage of fusion reactor operation. These results were compared with that for Fe2+ irradiated W with various damage concentrations. Although dense vacancies and voids within the shallow region near the surface were introduced by Fe2+ irradiation, single vacancies with low concentration were distributed throughout the sample for 14 MeV neutron irradiated W. Only the dislocation loops were introduced by fission neutron irradiation at low neutron fluence. The desorption peak of D for fission neutron irradiated W was concentrated at low temperature region less than 550 K, but that for 14 MeV neutron irradiated W was extended toward the higher temperature side due to D trapping by vacancies. It can be said that the neutron energy distribution could have a large impact on irradiation defect formation and the D retention behaviour.

Detailed Abundances in a Metal-Poor Stellar Stream

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roederer, I. U.; Sneden, C.; Thompson, I. B.; Preston, G. W.; Shectman, S. A.

2010-10-01

We present the results of a detailed abundance analysis of one of the confirmed building blocks of the Milky Way stellar halo, a kinematically-coherent metal-poor stellar stream. We have obtained high resolution and high S/N spectra of 8 confirmed and 4 rejected stream members using the MIKE spectrograph on the Magellan-Clay Telescope at Las Campanas Observatory and the 2dCoude spectrograph on the Smith Telescope at McDonald Observatory. We have derived abundances or upper limits for nearly 50 species of more than 40 elements in each of these stars. The stream members show a range of metallicity (-2.5 < [Fe/H] < -1.5) but are otherwise chemically homogeneous, with the same star-to-star chemical dispersion in [X/Fe] as halo stars. They show no evolution in the α or Fe-group elements over the range of metallicity. The stream does not resemble a globular cluster in that its members show a range of metallicities, and the small chemical dispersion and lack of chemical evolution demonstrate that it is also unlike the classical Milky Way dwarf spheroidal galaxies. Our results support the notion that a significant fraction of the Milky Way stellar halo was formed from accreted systems, and these systems likely did not resemble the present-day globular clusters or luminous dwarf galaxies. This stream is mildly enriched (in, e.g., [Eu/Fe]) by material produced by the main and weak components of the rapid neutron-capture process and shows no evidence for enrichment by the slow neutron-capture process. Except for the observed metallicity range of the stream stars, the enrichment pattern of the stream is nearly identical to that of the massive metal-poor globular cluster M15. The kinematics of M15 and the stream are also similar. It is possible that both systems may have originated from a common progenitor but not likely that the stream originated from M15.

ITER Fusion Energy

ScienceCinema

Holtkamp, Norbert

2018-01-09

ITER (in Latin “the way”) is designed to demonstrate the scientific and technological feasibility of fusion energy. Fusion is the process by which two light atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier over one and thus release energy. In the fusion process two isotopes of hydrogen – deuterium and tritium – fuse together to form a helium atom and a neutron. Thus fusion could provide large scale energy production without greenhouse effects; essentially limitless fuel would be available all over the world. The principal goals of ITER are to generate 500 megawatts of fusion power for periods of 300 to 500 seconds with a fusion power multiplication factor, Q, of at least 10. Q ? 10 (input power 50 MW / output power 500 MW). The ITER Organization was officially established in Cadarache, France, on 24 October 2007. The seven members engaged in the project – China, the European Union, India, Japan, Korea, Russia and the United States – represent more than half the world’s population. The costs for ITER are shared by the seven members. The cost for the construction will be approximately 5.5 billion Euros, a similar amount is foreseen for the twenty-year phase of operation and the subsequent decommissioning.

Is Deuterium Nuclear Fusion Catalyzed by Antineutrinos?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shomer, Isaac

2010-02-01

The hypothesis of Fischbach and Jenkins that neutrinos emitted from the sun accelerate radioactive decay is noted. It is thought that neutrinos accelerate beta decay by reacting with neutron-rich nuclides to form a beta particle and a daughter product, with no antineutrino emitted. Conversely, it is proposed that antineutrinos can react with proton-rich nuclides to cause positron decay, with no neutrino emitted. It is also proposed that the nuclear fusion of the hydrogen bomb is triggered not only by the energy of the igniting fission bomb, but by the antineutrinos created by the rapid beta decay of the daughter products in the fission process. The contemplated mechanism for antineutrino initiated fusion is the following: 1. The antineutrinos from the fission daughter products cause positron decay of deuterium by the process outlined above. 2. In a later fusion step, these positrons subsequently react with neutrons in deuterium to create antineutrinos. Electrons are unavailable to annihilate positrons in the plasma of the hydrogen bomb. 3. These antineutrinos thereafter react with more deuterium to form positrons, thereby propagating a chain reaction. )

The Value of Change: Surprises and Insights in Stellar Evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bildsten, Lars

2018-01-01

Astronomers with large-format cameras regularly scan the sky many times per night to detect what's changing, and telescopes in space such as Kepler and, soon, TESS obtain very accurate brightness measurements of nearly a million stars over time periods of years. These capabilities, in conjunction with theoretical and computational efforts, have yielded surprises and remarkable new insights into the internal properties of stars and how they end their lives. I will show how asteroseismology reveals the properties of the deep interiors of red giants, and highlight how astrophysical transients may be revealing unusual thermonuclear outcomes from exploding white dwarfs and the births of highly magnetic neutron stars. All the while, stellar science has been accelerated by the availability of open source tools, such as Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA), and the nearly immediate availability of observational results.

Thermal Evolution of Neutron Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geppert, Ulrich R. M. E.

The thermal evolution of neutron stars is a subject of intense research, both theoretical and observational. The evolution depends very sensitively on the state of dense matter at supranuclear densities, which essentially controls the neutrino emission. The evolution depends, too, on the structure of the stellar outer layers which control the photon emission. Various internal heating processes and the magnetic field strength and structure will influence the thermal evolution. Of great importance for the cooling processes is also whether, when, and where superfluidity and superconductivity appear within the neutron star. This article describes and discusses these issues and presents neutron star cooling calculations based on a broad collection of equations of state for neutron star matter and internal magnetic field geometries. X-ray observations provide reliable data, which allow conclusions about the surface temperatures of neutron stars. To verify the thermal evolution models, the results of model calculations are compared with the body of observed surface temperatures and their distribution. Through these comparisons, a better understanding can be obtained of the physical processes that take place under extreme conditions in the interior of neutron

The NASA-Lewis program on fusion energy for space power and propulsion, 1958-1978

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schulze, Norman R.; Roth, J. Reece

1990-01-01

An historical synopsis is provided of the NASA-Lewis research program on fusion energy for space power and propulsion systems. It was initiated to explore the potential applications of fusion energy to space power and propulsion systems. Some fusion related accomplishments and program areas covered include: basic research on the Electric Field Bumpy Torus (EFBT) magnetoelectric fusion containment concept, including identification of its radial transport mechanism and confinement time scaling; operation of the Pilot Rig mirror machine, the first superconducting magnet facility to be used in plasma physics or fusion research; operation of the Superconducting Bumpy Torus magnet facility, first used to generate a toroidal magnetic field; steady state production of neutrons from DD reactions; studies of the direct conversion of plasma enthalpy to thrust by a direct fusion rocket via propellant addition and magnetic nozzles; power and propulsion system studies, including D(3)He power balance, neutron shielding, and refrigeration requirements; and development of large volume, high field superconducting and cryogenic magnet technology.

Effects of magnetization on fusion product trapping and secondary neutron spectraa)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knapp, P. F.; Schmit, P. F.; Hansen, S. B.; Gomez, M. R.; Hahn, K. D.; Sinars, D. B.; Peterson, K. J.; Slutz, S. A.; Sefkow, A. B.; Awe, T. J.; Harding, E.; Jennings, C. A.; Desjarlais, M. P.; Chandler, G. A.; Cooper, G. W.; Cuneo, M. E.; Geissel, M.; Harvey-Thompson, A. J.; Porter, J. L.; Rochau, G. A.; Rovang, D. C.; Ruiz, C. L.; Savage, M. E.; Smith, I. C.; Stygar, W. A.; Herrmann, M. C.

2015-05-01

By magnetizing the fusion fuel in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) systems, the required stagnation pressure and density can be relaxed dramatically. This happens because the magnetic field insulates the hot fuel from the cold pusher and traps the charged fusion burn products. This trapping allows the burn products to deposit their energy in the fuel, facilitating plasma self-heating. Here, we report on a comprehensive theory of this trapping in a cylindrical DD plasma magnetized with a purely axial magnetic field. Using this theory, we are able to show that the secondary fusion reactions can be used to infer the magnetic field-radius product, BR, during fusion burn. This parameter, not ρR, is the primary confinement parameter in magnetized ICF. Using this method, we analyze data from recent Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion experiments conducted on the Z machine at Sandia National Laboratories. We show that in these experiments BR ≈ 0.34(+0.14/-0.06) MG . cm, a ˜ 14× increase in BR from the initial value, and confirming that the DD-fusion tritons are magnetized at stagnation. This is the first experimental verification of charged burn product magnetization facilitated by compression of an initial seed magnetic flux.

Effects of magnetization on fusion product trapping and secondary neutron spectra

DOE PAGES

Knapp, Patrick F.; Schmit, Paul F.; Hansen, Stephanie B.; ...

2015-05-14

In magnetizing the fusion fuel in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) systems, we found that the required stagnation pressure and density can be relaxed dramatically. This happens because the magnetic field insulates the hot fuel from the cold pusher and traps the charged fusion burn products. This trapping allows the burn products to deposit their energy in the fuel, facilitating plasma self-heating. Here, we report on a comprehensive theory of this trapping in a cylindrical DD plasma magnetized with a purely axial magnetic field. Using this theory, we are able to show that the secondary fusion reactions can be used tomore » infer the magnetic field-radius product, BR, during fusion burn. This parameter, not ρR, is the primary confinement parameter in magnetized ICF. Using this method, we analyze data from recent Magnetized Liner InertialFusion experiments conducted on the Z machine at Sandia National Laboratories. Furthermore, we show that in these experiments BR ≈ 0.34(+0.14/-0.06) MG · cm, a ~ 14× increase in BR from the initial value, and confirming that the DD-fusion tritons are magnetized at stagnation. Lastly, this is the first experimental verification of charged burn product magnetization facilitated by compression of an initial seed magnetic flux.« less

HOW CAN NEWLY BORN RAPIDLY ROTATING NEUTRON STARS BECOME MAGNETARS?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cheng, Quan; Yu, Yun-Wei, E-mail: yuyw@mail.ccnu.edu.cn

2014-05-10

In a newly born (high-temperature and Keplerian rotating) neutron star, r-mode instability can lead to stellar differential rotation, which winds the seed poloidal magnetic field (∼10{sup 11} G) to generate an ultra-high (∼10{sup 17} G) toroidal field component. Subsequently, by succumbing to the Tayler instability, the toroidal field could be partially transformed into a new poloidal field. Through such dynamo processes, the newly born neutron star with sufficiently rapid rotation could become a magnetar on a timescale of ∼10{sup 2} {sup –} {sup 3} s, with a surface dipolar magnetic field of ∼10{sup 15} G. Accompanying the field amplification, the star could spinmore » down to a period of ∼5 ms through gravitational wave radiation due to the r-mode instability and, in particular, the non-axisymmetric stellar deformation caused by the toroidal field. This scenario provides a possible explanation for why the remnant neutron stars formed in gamma-ray bursts and superluminous supernovae could be millisecond magnetars.« less

Neutron flux measurements around PLT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zankl, G.; Strachan, J.D.; Lewis, R.

1980-09-01

Using Indium activation foils, the toroidal and poloidal neutron emission patterns were determined for PLT plasmas which include ICRF and neutral beam heating. The activities produced the /sup 115/In (n,n') /sup 115m/In reaction were determined by counting the 336 keV ..gamma.. line of the /sup 115m/In decay. This activation cross section falls just below 2.5 MeV so that the influence of scattered neutrons of degraded energies is reduced. From the magnitude of the activity, the absolute calibration of the PLT fusion neutron emission is obtained with less than or equal to 40% accuracy.

An instability in neutron stars at birth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burrows, Adam; Fryxell, Bruce A.

1992-01-01

Calculations with a two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulation show that a generic Raleigh-Taylor-like instability occurs in the mantles of nascent neutron stars, that it is possibly violent, and that the standard spherically symmetric models of neutron star birth and supernova explosion may be inadequate. Whether this 'convective' instability is pivotal to the supernova mechanism, pulsar nagnetic fields, or a host of other important issues that attend stellar collapse remains to be seen, but its existence promises to modify all questions concerning this most energetic of astronomical phenomena.

Fusion Ash Separation in the Princeton Field-Reversed Configuration Reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abbate, Joseph; Yeh, Meagan; McGreivy, Nick; Cohen, Samuel

2016-10-01

The Princeton Field-Reversed Configuration (PFRC) concept relies on low-neutron production by D-3He fusion to enable small, safe nuclear-fusion reactors to be built, an approach requiring rapid and efficient extraction of fusion ash and energy produced by D-3He fusion reactions. The ash exhaust stream would contain energetic (0.1-1 MeV) protons, T, 3He, and 4He ions and nearly 1e5 cooler (ca. 100 eV) D ions. The T extracted from the reactor would be a valuable fusion product in that it decays into 3He, which could be used as fuel. If the T were not extracted it would be troublesome because of neutron production by the D-T reaction. This paper discusses methods to separate the various species in a PFRC reactor's exhaust stream. First, we discuss the use of curved magnetic fields to separate the energetic from the cool components. Then we discuss exploiting material properties, specifically reflection, sputtering threshold, and permeability, to allow separation of the hydrogen from the helium isotopes. DOE Contract Number DE-AC02-09CH11466.

Plasma facing materials and components for future fusion devices—development, characterization and performance under fusion specific loading conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Linke, J.

2006-04-01

The plasma exposed components in existing and future fusion devices are strongly affected by the plasma material interaction processes. These mechanisms have a strong influence on the plasma performance; in addition they have major impact on the lifetime of the plasma facing armour and the joining interface between the plasma facing material (PFM) and the heat sink. Besides physical and chemical sputtering processes, high heat quasi-stationary fluxes during normal and intense thermal transients are of serious concern for the engineers who develop reliable wall components. In addition, the material and component degradation due to intense fluxes of energetic neutrons is another critical issue in D-T-burning fusion devices which requires extensive R&D. This paper presents an overview on the materials development and joining, the testing of PFMs and components, and the analysis of the neutron irradiation induced degradation.

Compact D-D/D-T neutron generators and their applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lou, Tak Pui

2003-10-01

Neutron generators based on the 2H(d,n)3He and 3H(d,n)4He fusion reactions are the most commonly available neutron sources. The applications of current commercial neutron generators are often limited by their low neutron yield and their short operational lifetime. A new generation of D-D/D-T fusion-based neutron generators has been designed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) by using high current ion beams hitting on a self-loading target that has a large surface area to dissipate the heat load. This thesis describes the rationale behind the new designs and their potential applications. A survey of other neutron sources is presented to show their advantages and disadvantages compared to the fusion-based neutron generator. A prototype neutron facility was built at LBNL to test these neutron generators. High current ion beams were extracted from an RF-driven ion source to produce neutrons. With an average deuteron beam current of 24 mA and an energy of 100 keV, a neutron yield of >109 n/s has been obtained with a D-D coaxial neutron source. Several potential applications were investigated by using computer simulations. The computer code used for simulations and the variance reduction techniques employed were discussed. A study was carried out to determine the neutron flux and resolution of a D-T neutron source in thermal neutron scattering applications for condensed matter experiments. An error analysis was performed to validate the scheme used to predict the resolution. With a D-T neutron yield of 1014 n/s, the thermal neutron flux at the sample was predicted to be 7.3 x 105 n/cm2s. It was found that the resolution of cold neutrons was better than that of thermal neutrons when the duty factor is high. This neutron generator could be efficiently used for research and educational purposes at universities. Additional applications studied were positron production and Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT). The neutron flux required for positron production

Fusion cross sections measurements with MUSIC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carnelli, P. F. F.; Fernández Niello, J. O.; Almaraz-Calderon, S.; Rehm, K. E.; Albers, M.; Digiovine, B.; Esbensen, H.; Henderson, D.; Jiang, C. L.; Nusair, O.; Palchan-Hazan, T.; Pardo, R. C.; Ugalde, C.; Paul, M.; Alcorta, M.; Bertone, P. F.; Lai, J.; Marley, S. T.

2014-09-01

The interaction between exotic nuclei plays an important role for understanding the reaction mechanism of the fusion processes as well as for the energy production in stars. With the advent of radioactive beams new frontiers for fusion reaction studies have become accessible. We have performed the first measurements of the total fusion cross sections in the systems 10 , 14 , 15C + 12C using a newly developed active target-detector system (MUSIC). Comparison of the obtained cross sections with theoretical predictions show a good agreement in the energy region accessible with existing radioactive beams. This type of comparison allows us to calibrate the calculations for cases that cannot be studied in the laboratory with the current experimental capabilities. The high efficiency of this active detector system will allow future measurements with even more neutron-rich isotopes. The interaction between exotic nuclei plays an important role for understanding the reaction mechanism of the fusion processes as well as for the energy production in stars. With the advent of radioactive beams new frontiers for fusion reaction studies have become accessible. We have performed the first measurements of the total fusion cross sections in the systems 10 , 14 , 15C + 12C using a newly developed active target-detector system (MUSIC). Comparison of the obtained cross sections with theoretical predictions show a good agreement in the energy region accessible with existing radioactive beams. This type of comparison allows us to calibrate the calculations for cases that cannot be studied in the laboratory with the current experimental capabilities. The high efficiency of this active detector system will allow future measurements with even more neutron-rich isotopes. This work is supported by the U.S. DOE Office of Nuclear Physics under Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357 and the Universidad Nacional de San Martin, Argentina, Grant SJ10/39.

Neutron Skins and Neutron Stars in the Multimessenger Era

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fattoyev, F. J.; Piekarewicz, J.; Horowitz, C. J.

2018-04-01

The historical first detection of a binary neutron star merger by the LIGO-Virgo Collaboration [B. P. Abbott et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 161101 (2017), 10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.161101] is providing fundamental new insights into the astrophysical site for the r process and on the nature of dense matter. A set of realistic models of the equation of state (EOS) that yield an accurate description of the properties of finite nuclei, support neutron stars of two solar masses, and provide a Lorentz covariant extrapolation to dense matter are used to confront its predictions against tidal polarizabilities extracted from the gravitational-wave data. Given the sensitivity of the gravitational-wave signal to the underlying EOS, limits on the tidal polarizability inferred from the observation translate into constraints on the neutron-star radius. Based on these constraints, models that predict a stiff symmetry energy, and thus large stellar radii, can be ruled out. Indeed, we deduce an upper limit on the radius of a 1.4 M⊙ neutron star of R⋆1.4<13.76 km . Given the sensitivity of the neutron-skin thickness of Pb 208 to the symmetry energy, albeit at a lower density, we infer a corresponding upper limit of about Rskin208≲0.25 fm . However, if the upcoming PREX-II experiment measures a significantly thicker skin, this may be evidence of a softening of the symmetry energy at high densities—likely indicative of a phase transition in the interior of neutron stars.

A fast-neutron detection detector based on fission material and large sensitive 4H silicon carbide Schottky diode detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Linyue; Liu, Jinliang; Zhang, Jianfu; Chen, Liang; Zhang, Xianpeng; Zhang, Zhongbing; Ruan, Jinlu; Jin, Peng; Bai, Song; Ouyang, Xiaoping

2017-12-01

Silicon carbide radiation detectors are attractive in the measurement of the total numbers of pulsed fast neutrons emitted from nuclear fusion and fission devices because of high neutron-gamma discrimination and good radiation resistance. A fast-neutron detection system was developed based on a large-area 4H-SiC Schottky diode detector and a 235U fission target. Excellent pulse-height spectra of fission fragments induced by mono-energy deuterium-tritium (D-T) fusion neutrons and continuous energy fission neutrons were obtained. The detector is proven to be a good candidate for pulsed fast neutron detection in a complex radiation field.

Stellar encounters involving neutron stars in globular cluster cores

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davies, M. B.; Benz, W.; Hills, J. G.

1992-01-01

Encounters between a 1.4 solar mass neutron star and a 0.8 solar mass red giant (RG) and between a 1.4 solar mass neutron star (NS) and an 0.8 solar mass main-sequence (MS) star have been successfully simulated. In the case of encounters involving an RG, bound systems are produced when the separation at periastron passage R(MIN) is less than about 2.5 R(RG). At least 70 percent of these bound systems are composed of the RG core and NS forming a binary engulfed in a common envelope of what remains of the former RG envelope. Once the envelope is ejected, a tight white dwarf-NS binary remains. For MS stars, encounters with NSs will produce bound systems when R(MIN) is less than about 3.5 R(MS). Some 50 percent of these systems will be single objects with the NS engulfed in a thick disk of gas almost as massive as the original MS star. The ultimate fate of such systems is unclear.

Relativistically correct DD and DT neutron spectra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Appelbe, B.; Chittenden, J.

2014-06-01

We use relativistic kinematics to derive an expression for the energy spectrum of neutrons produced by fusion reactions in deuterium and deuterium-tritium thermal plasmas. The derivation does not require approximations and the obtained expression gives the exact shape of the spectrum. It is shown that the high-energy tail of the neutron spectrum is highly sensitive to the plasma temperature. Simple expressions for the plasma temperature as a function of the neutron spectrum full width at half maximum (FWHM) are given.

Astrophysical quests for neutron capture data of unstable nuclei

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Käppeler, F.

2016-11-01

The abundances of the chemical elements heavier than iron can be attributed in about equal parts to the r and to the s process, which are taking place in supernova explosions and during the He and C burning phases of stellar evolution, respectively. So far, quantitative studies on the extremely short-lived neutron-rich nuclei constituting the ( n, γ) network of the r process are out of reach. On the contrary, the situation for the s -process is far advanced, as the reaction path of the s process from 12C to the Pb/Bi region is located within the valley of stability. Accordingly, a comprehensive database of experimental ( n, γ) cross sections has been established. While for many stable isotopes the necessary accuracy is still to be reached, reliable cross sections for the involved unstable isotopes are almost completely missing. Because of the intrinsic γ background of radioactive samples, successful time-of-flight measurements are depending on intense pulsed neutron sources. Such data are fundamental for our understanding of branchings in the s -process reaction path, which carry important model-independent information on neutron flux and temperature in the deep stellar interior.

Stellar-mass black holes in young massive and open stellar clusters and their role in gravitational-wave generation - II

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banerjee, Sambaran

2018-01-01

The study of stellar-remnant black holes (BH) in dense stellar clusters is now in the spotlight, especially due to their intrinsic ability to form binary black holes (BBH) through dynamical encounters, which potentially coalesce via gravitational-wave (GW) radiation. In this work, which is a continuation from a recent study (Paper I), additional models of compact stellar clusters with initial masses ≲ 105 M⊙ and also those with small fractions of primordial binaries (≲ 10 per cent) are evolved for long term, applying the direct N-body approach, assuming state-of-the-art stellar-wind and remnant-formation prescriptions. That way, a substantially broader range of computed models than that in Paper I is achieved. As in Paper I, the general-relativistic BBH mergers continue to be mostly mediated by triples that are bound to the clusters rather than happen among the ejected BBHs. In fact, the number of such in situ BBH mergers, per cluster, tends to increase significantly with the introduction of a small population of primordial binaries. Despite the presence of massive primordial binaries, the merging BBHs, especially the in situ ones, are found to be exclusively dynamically assembled and hence would be spin-orbit misaligned. The BBHs typically traverse through both the LISA's and the LIGO's detection bands, being audible to both instruments. The 'dynamical heating' of the BHs keeps the electron-capture-supernova (ECS) neutron stars (NS) from effectively mass segregating and participating in exchange interactions; the dynamically active BHs would also exchange into any NS binary within ≲1 Gyr. Such young massive and open clusters have the potential to contribute to the dynamical BBH merger detection rate to a similar extent as their more massive globular-cluster counterparts.

Lightweight Double Neutron Star Found

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, Susanna

2018-02-01

More than forty years after the first discovery of a double neutron star, we still havent found many others but a new survey is working to change that.The Hunt for PairsThe observed shift in the Hulse-Taylor binarys orbital period over time as it loses energy to gravitational-wave emission. [Weisberg Taylor, 2004]In 1974, Russell Hulse and Joseph Taylor discovered the first double neutron star: two compact objects locked in a close orbit about each other. Hulse and Taylors measurements of this binarys decaying orbit over subsequent years led to a Nobel prize and the first clear evidence of gravitational waves carrying energy and angular momentum away from massive binaries.Forty years later, we have since confirmed the existence of gravitational waves directly with the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO). Nonetheless, finding and studying pre-merger neutron-star binaries remains a top priority. Observing such systems before they merge reveals crucial information about late-stage stellar evolution, binary interactions, and the types of gravitational-wave signals we expect to find with current and future observatories.Since the Hulse-Taylor binary, weve found a total of 16 additional double neutron-star systems which represents only a tiny fraction of the more than 2,600 pulsars currently known. Recently, however, a large number of pulsar surveys are turning their eyes toward the sky, with a focus on finding more double neutron stars and at least one of them has had success.The pulse profile for PSR J1411+2551 at 327 MHz. [Martinez et al. 2017]A Low-Mass DoubleConducted with the 1,000-foot Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico, the Arecibo 327 MHz Drift Pulsar Survey has enabled the recent discovery of dozens of pulsars and transients. Among them, as reported by Jose Martinez (Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy) and coauthors in a recent publication, is PSR J1411+2551: a new double neutron star with one of the lowest masses ever measured

Magnetized Target Fusion At General Fusion: An Overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laberge, Michel; O'Shea, Peter; Donaldson, Mike; Delage, Michael; Fusion Team, General

2017-10-01

Magnetized Target Fusion (MTF) involves compressing an initial magnetically confined plasma on a timescale faster than the thermal confinement time of the plasma. If near adiabatic compression is achieved, volumetric compression of 350X or more of a 500 eV target plasma would achieve a final plasma temperature exceeding 10 keV. Interesting fusion gains could be achieved provided the compressed plasma has sufficient density and dwell time. General Fusion (GF) is developing a compression system using pneumatic pistons to collapse a cavity formed in liquid metal containing a magnetized plasma target. Low cost driver, straightforward heat extraction, good tritium breeding ratio and excellent neutron protection could lead to a practical power plant. GF (65 employees) has an active plasma R&D program including both full scale and reduced scale plasma experiments and simulation of both. Although pneumatic driven compression of full scale plasmas is the end goal, present compression studies use reduced scale plasmas and chemically accelerated aluminum liners. We will review results from our plasma target development, motivate and review the results of dynamic compression field tests and briefly describe the work to date on the pneumatic driver front.

Magnetized Target Fusion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Griffin, Steven T.

2002-01-01

Magnetized target fusion (MTF) is under consideration as a means of building a low mass, high specific impulse, and high thrust propulsion system for interplanetary travel. This unique combination is the result of the generation of a high temperature plasma by the nuclear fusion process. This plasma can then be deflected by magnetic fields to provide thrust. Fusion is initiated by a small traction of the energy generated in the magnetic coils due to the plasma's compression of the magnetic field. The power gain from a fusion reaction is such that inefficiencies due to thermal neutrons and coil losses can be overcome. Since the fusion reaction products are directly used for propulsion and the power to initiate the reaction is directly obtained from the thrust generation, no massive power supply for energy conversion is required. The result should be a low engine mass, high specific impulse and high thrust system. The key is to successfully initiate fusion as a proof-of-principle for this application. Currently MSFC is implementing MTF proof-of-principle experiments. This involves many technical details and ancillary investigations. Of these, selected pertinent issues include the properties, orientation and timing of the plasma guns and the convergence and interface development of the "pusher" plasma. Computer simulations of the target plasma's behavior under compression and the convergence and mixing of the gun plasma are under investigation. This work is to focus on the gun characterization and development as it relates to plasma initiation and repeatability.

Three-dimensional neutronics optimization of helium-cooled blanket for multi-functional experimental fusion-fission hybrid reactor (FDS-MFX)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jiang, J.; Yuan, B.; Jin, M.

2012-07-01

Three-dimensional neutronics optimization calculations were performed to analyse the parameters of Tritium Breeding Ratio (TBR) and maximum average Power Density (PDmax) in a helium-cooled multi-functional experimental fusion-fission hybrid reactor named FDS (Fusion-Driven hybrid System)-MFX (Multi-Functional experimental) blanket. Three-stage tests will be carried out successively, in which the tritium breeding blanket, uranium-fueled blanket and spent-fuel-fueled blanket will be utilized respectively. In this contribution, the most significant and main goal of the FDS-MFX blanket is to achieve the PDmax of about 100 MW/m3 with self-sustaining tritium (TBR {>=} 1.05) based on the second-stage test with uranium-fueled blanket to check and validate themore » demonstrator reactor blanket relevant technologies based on the viable fusion and fission technologies. Four different enriched uranium materials were taken into account to evaluate PDmax in subcritical blanket: (i) natural uranium, (ii) 3.2% enriched uranium, (iii) 19.75% enriched uranium, and (iv) 64.4% enriched uranium carbide. These calculations and analyses were performed using a home-developed code VisualBUS and Hybrid Evaluated Nuclear Data Library (HENDL). The results showed that the performance of the blanket loaded with 64.4% enriched uranium was the most attractive and it could be promising to effectively obtain tritium self-sufficiency (TBR-1.05) and a high maximum average power density ({approx}100 MW/m{sup 3}) when the blanket was loaded with the mass of {sup 235}U about 1 ton. (authors)« less

Neutron capture cross sections of Kr

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fiebiger, Stefan; Baramsai, Bayarbadrakh; Couture, Aaron; Krtička, Milan; Mosby, Shea; Reifarth, René; O'Donnell, John; Rusev, Gencho; Ullmann, John; Weigand, Mario; Wolf, Clemens

2018-01-01

Neutron capture and β- -decay are competing branches of the s-process nucleosynthesis path at 85Kr [1], which makes it an important branching point. The knowledge of its neutron capture cross section is therefore essential to constrain stellar models of nucleosynthesis. Despite its importance for different fields, no direct measurement of the cross section of 85Kr in the keV-regime has been performed. The currently reported uncertainties are still in the order of 50% [2, 3]. Neutron capture cross section measurements on a 4% enriched 85Kr gas enclosed in a stainless steel cylinder were performed at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) using the Detector for Advanced Neutron Capture Experiments (DANCE). 85Kr is radioactive isotope with a half life of 10.8 years. As this was a low-enrichment sample, the main contaminants, the stable krypton isotopes 83Kr and 86Kr, were also investigated. The material was highly enriched and contained in pressurized stainless steel spheres.

Combined neutron and x-ray imaging at the National Ignition Facility (invited)

DOE PAGES

Danly, C. R.; Christensen, K.; Fatherley, Valerie E.; ...

2016-10-11

X-ray and neutrons are commonly used to image Inertial Confinement Fusion implosions, providing key diagnostic information on the fuel assembly of burning DT fuel. The x-ray and neutron data provided are complementary as the production of neutrons and x-rays occur from different physical processes, but typically these two images are collected from different views with no opportunity for co-registration of the two images. Neutrons are produced where the DT fusion fuel is burning; X-rays are produced in regions corresponding to high temperatures. Processes such as mix of ablator material into the hotspot can result in increased x-ray production and decreasedmore » neutron production but can only be confidently observed if the two images are collected along the same line of sight and co-registered. To allow direct comparison of x-ray and neutron data, a Combined Neutron X-ray Imaging system has been tested at Omega and installed at the National Ignition Facility to collect an x-ray image along the currently installed neutron imaging line-of-sight. Here, this system is described, and initial results are presented along with prospects for definitive coregistration of the images.« less

Combined neutron and x-ray imaging at the National Ignition Facility (invited).

PubMed

Danly, C R; Christensen, K; Fatherley, V E; Fittinghoff, D N; Grim, G P; Hibbard, R; Izumi, N; Jedlovec, D; Merrill, F E; Schmidt, D W; Simpson, R A; Skulina, K; Volegov, P L; Wilde, C H

2016-11-01

X-ray and neutrons are commonly used to image inertial confinement fusion implosions, providing key diagnostic information on the fuel assembly of burning deuterium-tritium (DT) fuel. The x-ray and neutron data provided are complementary as the production of neutrons and x-rays occurs from different physical processes, but typically these two images are collected from different views with no opportunity for co-registration of the two images. Neutrons are produced where the DT fusion fuel is burning; X-rays are produced in regions corresponding to high temperatures. Processes such as mix of ablator material into the hotspot can result in increased x-ray production and decreased neutron production but can only be confidently observed if the two images are collected along the same line of sight and co-registered. To allow direct comparison of x-ray and neutron data, a combined neutron x-ray imaging system has been tested at Omega and installed at the National Ignition Facility to collect an x-ray image along the currently installed neutron imaging line of sight. This system is described, and initial results are presented along with prospects for definitive coregistration of the images.

Tracer-Encapsulated Solid Pellet (TESPEL) Injection System for the TJ-II Stellarator

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tamura, N.; McCarthy, K. J.; Hayashi, H.

2016-01-01

A tracer-encapsulated solid pellet (TESPEL) injection system for the TJ-II stellarator was recently developed. In order to reduce the time and cost for the development, we combined a TESPEL injector provided by National Institute for Fusion Science with an existing TJ-II cryogenic pellet injection system. Consequently, the TESPEL injection into the TJ-II plasma was successfully achieved, which was confirmed by several pellet diagnostics including a normal-incidence spectrometer for monitoring a tracer impurity behavior.

Holographic Quark Matter and Neutron Stars.

PubMed

Hoyos, Carlos; Jokela, Niko; Rodríguez Fernández, David; Vuorinen, Aleksi

2016-07-15

We use a top-down holographic model for strongly interacting quark matter to study the properties of neutron stars. When the corresponding equation of state (EOS) is matched with state-of-the-art results for dense nuclear matter, we consistently observe a first-order phase transition at densities between 2 and 7 times the nuclear saturation density. Solving the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkov equations with the resulting hybrid EOSs, we find maximal stellar masses in excess of two solar masses, albeit somewhat smaller than those obtained with simple extrapolations of the nuclear matter EOSs. Our calculation predicts that no quark matter exists inside neutron stars.

Enhancement of cold fusion in metal ``hydrides'' by screening of proton and deuteron charges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burrows, Adam

1989-08-01

The production of fusion heat in a metal hydride (deuteride) lattice is problematic, since the reported ratio of power to neutron or γ-ray flux of some workers is much larger than that for any known conventional complement of fusion reactions. However, enhanced screening of the deuteron or proton charge in the lattice cages might enhance to modest levels the standard d+d-->3He+n,T+p and p+d-->3He+γ fusion reactions. By lowering the effective deuteron-deuteron and proton-deuteron Coulomb barriers, the effective Gamov penetration factor is increased substantially in metals in general, transition metals in particular, and perhaps enough to produce modest neutron fluxes and tritium yields.

Theoretical constraints on the properties of low-mass neutron stars from the equation of state of nuclear matter in the inner crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wen, Yong-Mei; Wen, De-Hua

2017-06-01

By employing four typical equation of states (EOSs) of nuclear matter in the inner crust, the properties of low-mass neutron stars are investigated theoretically. Based on the well-known fact that there is a big gap between the neutron stars and white dwarfs in the mass-radius sequence of compact stars, according to the mass-radius relations of the four adopted EOSs, we conclude that there is a rough forbidden region for the central density and stellar radius to form a compact star; that is, there is no compact star in nature having central density in the region from about 1012kgm-3 to 1017kgm-3 , and there is also no compact star having a radius in the region from about 400 km to 2000 km. Moreover, the properties of the low-mass neutron stars are also explored. It is shown that for a stable neutron star near the minimum mass point, the stellar size (with radius >200 km) is much larger than that of normal neutron stars, and there is a compact "core" concentrated at about 95% of the stellar mass in the inner core with a radius of about 13 km and density higher than the neutron-drip point (4.3 ×1014kgm-3) . This property totally differs from that of normal neutron stars and white dwarfs. Furthermore, the Keplerian period, the moment of inertia, and the surface gravitational redshift of the star near the minimum-mass point are also investigated.

A collimated neutron detector for RFP plasmas in MST

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Capecchi, W. J., E-mail: capecchi@wisc.edu; Anderson, J. K.; Bonofiglo, P. J.

The neutron emissivity profile in the Madison Symmetric Torus is being reconstructed through the use of a collimated neutron detector. A scintillator-photomultiplier tube (PMT) system is employed to detect the fusion neutrons with the plasma viewing volume defined by a 55 cm deep, 5 cm diameter aperture. Effective detection of neutrons from the viewing volume is achieved through neutron moderation using 1300 lbs of high density polyethylene shielding, which modeling predicts attenuates the penetrating flux by a factor of 10{sup 4} or more. A broad spectrum of gamma radiation is also present due to the unconfined fusion proton bombardment ofmore » the thick aluminum vacuum vessel. A 15 cm cylindrical liquid scintillator of 3.8 cm diameter is used to further increase directional sensitivity. A fast (5 ns rise time) preamplifier and digitization at 500 MHz prevent pulse pile-up even at high count rates (∼10{sup 4}/s). The entire neutron camera system is situated on an adjustable inclining base which provides the differing plasma viewing volumes necessary for reconstruction of the neutron emissivity profile. This profile, directly related to the fast-ion population, allows for an investigation of the critical fast-ion pressure gradient required to destabilize a neutral beam driven Alfvénic mode which has been shown to transport fast ions.« less

A Search for Black Holes and Neutron Stars in the Kepler Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orosz, Jerome; Short, Donald; Welsh, William; Windmiller, Gur; Dabney, David

2018-01-01

Black holes and neutron stars represent the final evolutionary stages of the most massive stars. In addition to their use as probes into the evolution of massive stars, black holes and neutron stars are ideal laboratories to test General Relativity in the strong field limit. The number of neutron stars and black holes in the Milky Way is not precisely known, but there are an estimated one billion neutron stars in the galaxy based on the observed numbers of radio pulsars. The number of black holes is about 100 million, based on the behavior of the Initial Mass Function at high stellar masses.All of the known steller-mass black holes (and a fair number of neutron stars) are in ``X-ray binaries'' that were discovered because of their luminous X-ray emission. The requirement to be in an X-ray-emitting binary places a strong observational bias on the discovery of stellar-mass black holes. Thus the 21 known black hole binaries represent only the very uppermost tip of the population iceberg.We have conducted an optical survey using Kepler data designed to uncover black holes and neutron stars in both ``quiescent'' X-ray binaries and ``pre-contact'' X-ray binaries. We discuss how the search was conducted, including how potentially interesting light curves were classified and the how variability types were identified. Although we did not find any convincing candidate neutron star or black hole systems, we did find a few noteworthy binary systems, including two binaries that contain low-mass stars with unusually low albedos.

Neutronics Analysis of Water-Cooled Ceramic Breeder Blanket for CFETR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Qingjun; Li, Jia; Liu, Songlin

2016-07-01

In order to investigate the nuclear response to the water-cooled ceramic breeder blanket models for CFETR, a detailed 3D neutronics model with 22.5° torus sector was developed based on the integrated geometry of CFETR, including heterogeneous WCCB blanket models, shield, divertor, vacuum vessel, toroidal and poloidal magnets, and ports. Using the Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport Code MCNP5 and IAEA Fusion Evaluated Nuclear Data Library FENDL2.1, the neutronics analyses were performed. The neutron wall loading, tritium breeding ratio, the nuclear heating, neutron-induced atomic displacement damage, and gas production were determined. The results indicate that the global TBR of no less than 1.2 will be a big challenge for the water-cooled ceramic breeder blanket for CFETR. supported by the National Magnetic Confinement Fusion Science Program of China (Nos. 2013GB108004, 2014GB122000, and 2014GB119000), and National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 11175207)

Fusion proton diagnostic for the C-2 field reversed configurationa)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Magee, R. M.; Clary, R.; Korepanov, S.; Smirnov, A.; Garate, E.; Knapp, K.; Tkachev, A.

2014-11-01

Measurements of the flux of fusion products from high temperature plasmas provide valuable insights into the ion energy distribution, as the fusion reaction rate is a very sensitive function of ion energy. In C-2, where field reversed configuration plasmas are formed by the collision of two compact toroids and partially sustained by high power neutral beam injection [M. Binderbauer et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 045003 (2010); M. Tuszewski et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 255008 (2012)], measurements of DD fusion neutron flux are used to diagnose ion temperature and study fast ion confinement and dynamics. In this paper, we will describe the development of a new 3 MeV proton detector that will complement existing neutron detectors. The detector is a large area (50 cm2), partially depleted, ion implanted silicon diode operated in a pulse counting regime. While the scintillator-based neutron detectors allow for high time resolution measurements (˜100 kHz), they have no spatial or energy resolution. The proton detector will provide 10 cm spatial resolution, allowing us to determine if the axial distribution of fast ions is consistent with classical fast ion theory or whether anomalous scattering mechanisms are active. We will describe in detail the diagnostic design and present initial data from a neutral beam test chamber.

Physics of systems containing neutron stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shaham, Jacob

1989-01-01

The following is a summary of work done during the period of Mar. to Oct. 1989. Three major topics were extensively looked into during this time: the reported 2,000 Hz optical signal from the direction of SNR1987A, the possibility that neutron stellar surface magnetic fields do not decay except when the star is accreting, and the 6 Hz QPOs of LMXBs.

Comparison of bulk and pitcher-catcher targets for laser-driven neutron production

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Willingale, L.; Maksimchuk, A.; Joglekar, A. S.

2011-08-15

Laser-driven d(d, n)-{sup 3}He beam-target fusion neutron production from bulk deuterated plastic (CD) targets is compared with a pitcher-catcher target scheme using an identical laser and detector arrangement. For laser intensities in the range of (1-3) x 10{sup 19} W cm{sup -2}, it was found that the bulk targets produced a high yield (5 x 10{sup 4} neutrons per steradian) beamed preferentially in the laser propagation direction. Numerical modeling shows the importance of considering the temperature adjusted stopping powers to correctly model the neutron production. The bulk CD targets have a high background target temperature leading to a reduced stoppingmore » power for the deuterons, which increases the probability of generating neutrons by fusion. Neutron production from the pitcher-catcher targets was not as efficient since it does not benefit from the reduced stopping power in the cold catcher target. Also, the inhibition of the deuteron acceleration by a proton rich contamination layer significantly reduces the pitcher-catcher neutron production.« less

Strategy for the absolute neutron emission measurement on ITER.

PubMed

Sasao, M; Bertalot, L; Ishikawa, M; Popovichev, S

2010-10-01

Accuracy of 10% is demanded to the absolute fusion measurement on ITER. To achieve this accuracy, a functional combination of several types of neutron measurement subsystem, cross calibration among them, and in situ calibration are needed. Neutron transport calculation shows the suitable calibration source is a DT/DD neutron generator of source strength higher than 10(10) n/s (neutron/second) for DT and 10(8) n/s for DD. It will take eight weeks at the minimum with this source to calibrate flux monitors, profile monitors, and the activation system.

Measurement and Interpretation of DT Neutron Emission from Tftr.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCauley, John Scott, Jr.

A fast-ion diffusion coefficient of 0.1 +/- 0.1 m^2s ^{-1} has been deduced from the triton burnup neutron emission profile measured by a collimated array of helium-4 spectrometers. The experiment was performed with high-power deuterium discharges produced by Princeton University's Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR). The fast ions monitored were the 1.0 MeV tritons produced from the d(d,t)p triton burnup reaction. These tritons "burn up" with deuterons and emit a 14 MeV neutron by the d(t, alpha)n reaction. The measured radial profiles of DT emission were compared with the predictions of a computer transport code. The ratio of the measured-to -calculated DT yield is typically 70%. The measured DT profile width is typically 5 cm larger than predicted by the transport code. The radial 14 MeV neutron profile was measured by a radial array of helium-4 recoil neutron spectrometers installed in the TFTR Multichannel Neutron Collimator (MCNC). The spectrometers are capable of measuring the primary and secondary neutron fluxes from deuterium discharges. The response to 14 MeV neutrons of the array has been measured by cross calibrating with the MCNC ZnS detector array when the emission from TFTR is predominantly DT neutrons. The response was also checked by comparing a model of the recoil spectrum based on nuclear physics data to the observed spectrum from ^{252 }Cf, ^{238}Pu -Be, and DT neutron sources. Extensions of this diagnostic to deuterium-tritium plasma and the implications for fusion research are discussed.

Increasing the High Voltage Capabilities and Exploring Parameter Space of an Inertial Electrostatic Confinement Fusion Neutron Source for the Detection of Chemical Explosives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michalak, Matthew K.

The objectives of the work presented here include understanding key operating principles and providing precise data sets that can be used to test inertial electrostatic confinement (IEC) fusion theory and optimize IEC device operation. The underlying physical behavior was separated from superficial trends observed in an IEC device at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW). The effects of changing voltage (30-170 kV) and current (30-100 mA) were thoroughly explored, pressure effects (0.15-1.25 mTorr) were mapped, and the effect of impurities in the system was quantified. The most challenging part of this work was designing a high voltage feedthrough that could reliably operate at higher voltages for far longer times than previously attained. A system to detect conventional explosives using fusion neutrons was also designed, constructed, and tested. Precise data sets were created by taking into account and minimizing the effects of short and long term trends in the experiment. Detailed meter current scans were taken that showed a linear relationship of the neutron production rate with current. Cathode voltage scans were slightly greater than linear in the neutron rate from 30 to 170 kV, but the rate increase diminished to near linear as 170 kV was approached. A new high voltage feedthrough was designed that surpassed the performance of past UW IEC lab feedthroughs and shows promise for long duration operation at still higher voltages. Limitations of other equipment in the IEC lab prevented testing the feedthrough to voltages above 175 kV. A more robust construction of the feedthrough and reducing the consequences of a feedthrough failure were also important design criteria that were met. A detector array was made to detect explosives via the 10.8 MeV neutron capture prompt gamma from nitrogen. Signals from four separate detectors were combined to make the individual detectors act similar to one large detector. The detector signals were both summed and combined to

Analysis of the propagation of neutrons and gamma-rays from the fast neutron source reactor YAYOI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoshida, Shigeo; Murata, Isao; Nakagawa, Tsutomu; Saito, Isao

2011-10-01

The skyshine effect is crucial for designing appropriate shielding. To investigate the skyshine effect, the propagation of neutrons was measured and analyzed at the fast neutron source reactor YAYOI. Pulse height spectra and dose distributions of neutron and secondary gamma-ray were measured outside YAYOI, and analyzed with MCNP-5 and JENDL-3.3. Comparison with the experimental results showed good agreement. Also, a semi-empirical formula was successfully derived to describe the dose distribution. The formulae can be used to predict the skyshine effect at YAYOI, and will be useful for estimating the skyshine effect and designing the shield structure for fusion facilities.

Studies of neutron star X-ray binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, Thomas W. J.

Neutron stars represent the endpoint in stellar evolution for stars with initial masses between ~3 and 8 solar masses. They are the densest non- singularities in the universe, cramming more than a solar mass of matter into a sphere with a radius of about 10 km. Such a large mass-to-radius ratio implies deep potential wells, so that when mass transfer is taking place ~10% of the rest-mass is liberated as gravitational binding energy, resulting in prodigious amounts of X-ray emission that contains valuable information on the physical characteristics in accreting binary systems. Much of my research in this dissertation focuses on the spectroscopic and timing properties of the canonical thermonuclear bursting source GS 1826-238. By measuring the relationship between the X-ray flux (which is assumed to trace the accretion rate onto the stellar surface) and the time intervals between subsequent bursts, I find that although the intervals usually decreased proportionately as the persistent flux increased, a few measurements of the flux-recurrence time relationship were significant outliers. Accompanying spectral and timing changes strongly suggest that the accretion disk extends down to smaller radial distances from the source during these atypical episodes. This result is important for understanding the nature of accretion flows around neutron stars because it indicates that accretion disks probably evaporate at some distance from the neutron star surface at lower accretion rates. I also contribute to our understanding of two newly discovered and heavily- absorbed pulsars (neutron stars with strong magnetic fields) by determining the orbital parameters of the systems through pulse timing analysis. Orbital phase- resolved spectroscopy of one source revealed evidence for an "accretion wake" trailing the pulsar through its orbit, showing that X-rays emanating from the surface can ionize the stellar wind in its vicinity. Finally, I develop an innovative application of dust

Thermal structure and cooling of neutron stars with magnetized envelopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Potekhin, A. Y.; Yakovlev, D. G.

2001-07-01

The thermal structure of neutron stars with magnetized envelopes is studied using modern physics input. The relation between the internal (Tint) and local surface temperatures is calculated and fitted by analytic expressions for magnetic field strengths B from 0 to 1016 G and arbitrary inclination of the field lines to the surface. The luminosity of a neutron star with dipole magnetic field is calculated and fitted as a function of B, Tint, stellar mass and radius. In addition, we simulate cooling of neutron stars with magnetized envelopes. In particular, we analyse ultramagnetized envelopes of magnetars and also the effects of the magnetic field of the Vela pulsar on the determination of critical temperatures of neutron and proton superfluids in its core.

Neutron skyshine from intense 14-MeV neutron source facility

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nakamura, T.; Hayashi, K.; Takahashi, A.

1985-07-01

The dose distribution and the spectrum variation of neutrons due to the skyshine effect have been measured with the high-efficiency rem counter, the multisphere spectrometer, and the NE-213 scintillator in the environment surrounding an intense 14-MeV neutron source facility. The dose distribution and the energy spectra of neutrons around the facility used as a skyshine source have also been measured to enable the absolute evaluation of the skyshine effect. The skyshine effect was analyzed by two multigroup Monte Carlo codes, NIMSAC and MMCR-2, by two discrete ordinates S /sub n/ codes, ANISN and DOT3.5, and by the shield structure designmore » code for skyshine, SKYSHINE-II. The calculated results show good agreement with the measured results in absolute values. These experimental results should be useful as benchmark data for shyshine analysis and for shielding design of fusion facilities.« less

Double differential light charged particle emission cross sections for some structural fusion materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarpün, Ismail Hakki; n, Abdullah Aydı; Tel, Eyyup

2017-09-01

In fusion reactors, neutron induced radioactivity strongly depends on the irradiated material. So, a proper selection of structural materials will have been limited the radioactive inventory in a fusion reactor. First-wall and blanket components have high radioactivity concentration due to being the most flux-exposed structures. The main objective of fusion structural material research is the development and selection of materials for reactor components with good thermo-mechanical and physical properties, coupled with low-activation characteristics. Double differential light charged particle emission cross section, which is a fundamental data to determine nuclear heating and material damages in structural fusion material research, for some elements target nuclei have been calculated by the TALYS 1.8 nuclear reaction code at 14-15 MeV neutron incident energy and compared with available experimental data in EXFOR library. Direct, compound and pre-equilibrium reaction contribution have been theoretically calculated and dominant contribution have been determined for each emission of proton, deuteron and alpha particle.

Performance analysis of fusion nuclear-data benchmark experiments for light to heavy materials in MeV energy region with a neutron spectrum shifter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murata, Isao; Ohta, Masayuki; Miyamaru, Hiroyuki; Kondo, Keitaro; Yoshida, Shigeo; Iida, Toshiyuki; Ochiai, Kentaro; Konno, Chikara

2011-10-01

Nuclear data are indispensable for development of fusion reactor candidate materials. However, benchmarking of the nuclear data in MeV energy region is not yet adequate. In the present study, benchmark performance in the MeV energy region was investigated theoretically for experiments by using a 14 MeV neutron source. We carried out a systematical analysis for light to heavy materials. As a result, the benchmark performance for the neutron spectrum was confirmed to be acceptable, while for gamma-rays it was not sufficiently accurate. Consequently, a spectrum shifter has to be applied. Beryllium had the best performance as a shifter. Moreover, a preliminary examination of whether it is really acceptable that only the spectrum before the last collision is considered in the benchmark performance analysis. It was pointed out that not only the last collision but also earlier collisions should be considered equally in the benchmark performance analysis.

Contribution to fusion research from IAEA coordinated research projects and joint experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gryaznevich, M.; Van Oost, G.; Stöckel, J.; Kamendje, R.; Kuteev, B. N.; Melnikov, A.; Popov, T.; Svoboda, V.; The IAEA CRP Teams

2015-10-01

The paper presents objectives and activities of IAEA Coordinated Research Projects ‘Conceptual development of steady-state compact fusion neutron sources’ and ‘Utilisation of a network of small magnetic confinement fusion devices for mainstream fusion research’. The background and main projects of the CRP on FNS are described in detail, as this is a new activity at IAEA. Recent activities of the second CRP, which continues activities of previous CRPs, are overviewed.

Prospects for Attractive Fusion Power

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Najmabadi, Farrokh

2006-10-01

During the past ten years, the ARIES Team, a national team involving universities, national laboratories, and industry, has studied a variety of magnetic fusion power plants (tokamaks, stellarators, ST, and RFP). In this paper, we present the top-level requirements and goals for commercial fusion power plants developed with consultation with US utilities and industry. We will review several ARIES designs and discuss the candidate options for physics operation regime as well engineering design of various components (e.g., choice of structural material, coolant, breeder). For each option, we will discuss (1) the potential to satisfy the requirements and goals, and (2) the critical R&D needs. In particular, we will discuss fusion R&D issues which are similar to those of advanced fission systems. For tokamaks, our results indicate that dramatic improvement over first-stability operation can be obtained through either utilization of high-field magnets (e.g., high-temperature superconductors) or operation in advanced-tokamak modes (e.g., reversed-shear). In particular, if full benefits of reversed-shear operation are realized, as is assumed in ARIES-AT, tokamak power plants will have a cost of electricity competitive with other sources of electricity. Emerging technologies such as advanced Baryon cycle, high-temperature superconductor, and advanced manufacturing techniques can improve the cost and attractiveness of fusion plants.

NE-213-scintillator-based neutron detection system for diagnostic measurements of energy spectra for neutrons having energies greater than or equal to 0. 8 MeV created during plasma operations at the Princeton Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dickens, J.K.; Hill, N.W.; Hou, F.S.

1985-08-01

A system for making diagnostic measurements of the energy spectra of greater than or equal to 0.8-MeV neutrons produced during plasma operations of the Princeton Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) has been fabricated and tested and is presently in operation in the TFTR Test Cell Basement. The system consists of two separate detectors, each made up of cells containing liquid NE-213 scintillator attached permanently to RCA-8850 photomultiplier tubes. Pulses obtained from each photomultiplier system are amplified and electronically analyzed to identify and separate those pulses due to neutron-induced events in the detector from those due to photon-induced events in themore » detector. Signals from each detector are routed to two separate Analog-to-Digital Converters, and the resulting digitized information, representing: (1) the raw neutron-spectrum data; and (2) the raw photon-spectrum data, are transmited to the CICADA data-acquisition computer system of the TFTR. Software programs have been installed on the CICADA system to analyze the raw data to provide moderate-resolution recreations of the energy spectrum of the neutron and photon fluences incident on the detector during the operation of the TFTR. A complete description of, as well as the operation of, the hardware and software is given in this report.« less

NE-213-scintillator-based neutron detection system for diagnostic measurements of energy spectra for neutrons having energies greater than or equal to 0.8 MeV created during plasma operations at the Princeton Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dickens, J. K.; Hill, N. W.; Hou, F. S.; McConnell, J. W.; Spencer, R. R.; Tsang, F. Y.

1985-08-01

A system for making diagnostic measurements of the energy spectra of greater than or equal to 0.8-MeV neutrons produced during plasma operations of the Princeton Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) has been fabricated and tested and is presently in operation in the TFTR Test Cell Basement. The system consists of two separate detectors, each made up of cells containing liquid NE-213 scintillator attached permanently to RCA-8850 photomultiplier tubes. Pulses obtained from each photomultiplier system are amplified and electronically analyzed to identify and separate those pulses due to neutron-induced events in the detector from those due to photon-induced events in the detector. Signals from each detector are routed to two separate Analog-to-Digital Converters, and the resulting digitized information, representing: (1) the raw neutron-spectrum data; and (2) the raw photon-spectrum data, are transmited to the CICADA data-acquisition computer system of the TFTR. Software programs have been installed on the CICADA system to analyze the raw data to provide moderate-resolution recreations of the energy spectrum of the neutron and photon fluences incident on the detector during the operation of the TFTR. A complete description of, as well as the operation of, the hardware and software is given in this report.

Muon-catalyzed D-T fusion at low temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Breunlich, W. H.; Cargnelli, M.; Kammel, P.; Marton, J.; Naegele, N.; Pawlek, P.; Scrinzi, A.; Werner, J.; Zmeskal, J.; Bistirlich, J.; Crowe, K. M.; Justice, M.; Kurck, J.; Petitjean, C.; Sherman, R. H.; Bossy, H.; Daniel, H.; Hartmann, F. J.; Neumann, W.; Schmidt, G.

1987-01-01

Muon-catalyzed deuterium-tritium fusion was investigated within a wide range of mixtures in liquid and gas (23-35 K) by detection of fusion neutrons. Our improved analysis includes hyperfine effects and allows a clear separation of intrinsic dt sticking ωs from kinetic effects. Strongly density-dependent cycle rates with values up to 1.45×108 s-1, yields of 113 fusions per muon, and ωs=(0.45+/-0.05)% are found. In comparison with previous experiments we confirm that ωs in liquid is lower than theoretically predicted, but do not find a strong dependence on either ct or density.

Reevaluating Old Stellar Populations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stanway, E. R.; Eldridge, J. J.

2018-05-01

Determining the properties of old stellar populations (those with age >1 Gyr) has long involved the comparison of their integrated light, either in the form of photometry or spectroscopic indexes, with empirical or synthetic templates. Here we reevaluate the properties of old stellar populations using a new set of stellar population synthesis models, designed to incorporate the effects of binary stellar evolution pathways as a function of stellar mass and age. We find that single-aged stellar population models incorporating binary stars, as well as new stellar evolution and atmosphere models, can reproduce the colours and spectral indices observed in both globular clusters and quiescent galaxies. The best fitting model populations are often younger than those derived from older spectral synthesis models, and may also lie at slightly higher metallicities.

Simulation, Analysis, and Design of the Princeton Adaptable Stellarator for Education and Outreach (PASEO)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carlson, Jared; Dominguez, Arturo; N/A Collaboration

2017-10-01

The PPPL Science Education Department, in collaboration with IPP, is currently developing a versatile small scale Stellarator for education and outreach purposes. The Princeton Adaptable Stellarator for Education and Outreach (PASEO) will provide visual demonstrations of Stellarator physics and serve as a lab platform for undergraduate and graduate students. Based off the Columbia Non-Neutral Torus (CNT) (1), and mini-CNTs (2), PASEO will create pure electron plasmas to study magnetic surfaces. PASEO uses similar geometries to these, but has an adjustable coil configuration to increase its versatility and conform to a highly visible vacuum chamber geometry. To simulate the magnetic surfaces in these new configurations, a MATALB code utilizing the Biot Savart law and a Fourth Order Runge-Kutta method was developed, leading to new optimal current ratios. The design for PASEO and its predicted plasma confinement are presented. (1) T.S. Pedersen et al., Fusion Science and Technology Vol. 46 July 2004 (2) C. Dugan, et al., American Physical Society; 48th Annual Meeting of the Division of Plasma Physics, October 30-November 3, 2006

Revised analysis of Ca 40 + Zr 96 fusion reactions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Esbensen, H.; Montagnoli, G.; Stefanini, A. M.

2016-03-10

Fusion data for 40Ca + 96Zr are analyzed by coupled-channels calculations that are based on a standard Woods-Saxon potential and include couplings to multiphonon excitations and transfer channels. The couplings to multiphonon excitations are the same as those used in a previous work. The transfer couplings are calibrated to reproduce the measured neutron transfer data. This type of calculation gives a poor fit to the fusion data. However, by multiplying the transfer couplings with a √2 one obtains an excellent fit. Finally, the scaling of the transfer strengths is supposed to simulate the combined effect of neutron and proton transfer,more » and the calculated one- and two-nucleon transfer cross sections are indeed in reasonable agreement with the measured cross sections.« less

Burning high-level TRU waste in fusion fission reactors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Yaosong

2016-09-01

Recently, the concept of actinide burning instead of a once-through fuel cycle for disposing spent nuclear fuel seems to get much more attention. A new method of burning high-level transuranic (TRU) waste combined with Thorium-Uranium (Th-U) fuel in the subcritical reactors driven by external fusion neutron sources is proposed in this paper. The thorium-based TRU fuel burns all of the long-lived actinides via a hard neutron spectrum while outputting power. A one-dimensional model of the reactor concept was built by means of the ONESN_BURN code with new data libraries. The numerical results included actinide radioactivity, biological hazard potential, and much higher burnup rate of high-level transuranic waste. The comparison of the fusion-fission reactor with the thermal reactor shows that the harder neutron spectrum is more efficient than the soft. The Th-U cycle produces less TRU, less radiotoxicity and fewer long-lived actinides. The Th-U cycle provides breeding of 233U with a long operation time (>20 years), hence significantly reducing the reactivity swing while improving safety and burnup.

Maximal design basis accident of fusion neutron source DEMO-TIN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolbasov, B. N.

2015-12-01

When analyzing the safety of nuclear (including fusion) facilities, the maximal design basis accident at which the largest release of activity is expected must certainly be considered. Such an accident is usually the failure of cooling systems of the most thermally stressed components of a reactor (for a fusion facility, it is the divertor or the first wall). The analysis of safety of the ITER reactor and fusion power facilities (including hybrid fission-fusion facilities) shows that the initial event of such a design basis accident is a large-scale break of a pipe in the cooling system of divertor or the first wall outside the vacuum vessel of the facility. The greatest concern is caused by the possibility of hydrogen formation and the inrush of air into the vacuum chamber (VC) with the formation of a detonating mixture and a subsequent detonation explosion. To prevent such an explosion, the emergency forced termination of the fusion reaction, the mounting of shutoff valves in the cooling systems of the divertor and the first wall or blanket for reducing to a minimum the amount of water and air rushing into the VC, the injection of nitrogen or inert gas into the VC for decreasing the hydrogen and oxygen concentration, and other measures are recommended. Owing to a continuous feed-out of the molten-salt fuel mixture from the DEMO-TIN blanket with the removal period of 10 days, the radioactivity release at the accident will mainly be determined by tritium (up to 360 PBq). The activity of fission products in the facility will be up to 50 PBq.

Maximal design basis accident of fusion neutron source DEMO-TIN

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kolbasov, B. N., E-mail: Kolbasov-BN@nrcki.ru

2015-12-15

When analyzing the safety of nuclear (including fusion) facilities, the maximal design basis accident at which the largest release of activity is expected must certainly be considered. Such an accident is usually the failure of cooling systems of the most thermally stressed components of a reactor (for a fusion facility, it is the divertor or the first wall). The analysis of safety of the ITER reactor and fusion power facilities (including hybrid fission–fusion facilities) shows that the initial event of such a design basis accident is a large-scale break of a pipe in the cooling system of divertor or themore » first wall outside the vacuum vessel of the facility. The greatest concern is caused by the possibility of hydrogen formation and the inrush of air into the vacuum chamber (VC) with the formation of a detonating mixture and a subsequent detonation explosion. To prevent such an explosion, the emergency forced termination of the fusion reaction, the mounting of shutoff valves in the cooling systems of the divertor and the first wall or blanket for reducing to a minimum the amount of water and air rushing into the VC, the injection of nitrogen or inert gas into the VC for decreasing the hydrogen and oxygen concentration, and other measures are recommended. Owing to a continuous feed-out of the molten-salt fuel mixture from the DEMO-TIN blanket with the removal period of 10 days, the radioactivity release at the accident will mainly be determined by tritium (up to 360 PBq). The activity of fission products in the facility will be up to 50 PBq.« less

Three-dimensional photogrammetric measurement of magnetic field lines in the WEGA stellarator

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Drewelow, Peter; Braeuer, Torsten; Otte, Matthias

2009-12-15

The magnetic confinement of plasmas in fusion experiments can significantly degrade due to perturbations of the magnetic field. A precise analysis of the magnetic field in a stellarator-type experiment utilizes electrons as test particles following the magnetic field line. The usual fluorescent detector for this electron beam limits the provided information to two-dimensional cut views at certain toroidal positions. However, the technique described in this article allows measuring the three-dimensional structure of the magnetic field by means of close-range photogrammetry. After testing and optimizing the main diagnostic components, measurements of the magnetic field lines were accomplished with a spatial resolutionmore » of 5 mm. The results agree with numeric calculations, qualifying this technique as an additional tool to investigate magnetic field configurations in a stellarator. For a possible future application, ways are indicated on how to reduce experimental error sources.« less

Production of muons for fusion catalysis using a migma configuration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chapline, George F.; Moir, Ralph W.

1988-08-01

Muon-catalyzed fusion requires a very efficient means of producing muons. We describe a muon-producing magnetic-mirror scheme with triton migma that may be more energy efficient than any heretofore proposed. If one could catalyze 200 fusions per muon and employ a uranium blanket that would multiply the neutron energy by a factor of 10, one might produce electricity with an overall plant efficiency (ratio of electric energy produced to nuclear energy released) approaching 30%. The self-colliding arrangement of triton orbits will result in many π-'s being produced near the axis of the magnetic mirror. The pions quickly decay into muons, which are transported into a small (few cm diameter) reactor chamber producing approximately 1 MW/m2 neutron flux on the chamber walls.

Compact ion source neutron generator

DOEpatents

Schenkel, Thomas; Persaud, Arun; Kapadia, Rehan; Javey, Ali; Chang-Hasnain, Constance; Rangelow, Ivo; Kwan, Joe

2015-10-13

A neutron generator includes a conductive substrate comprising a plurality of conductive nanostructures with free-standing tips and a source of an atomic species to introduce the atomic species in proximity to the free-standing tips. A target placed apart from the substrate is voltage biased relative to the substrate to ionize and accelerate the ionized atomic species toward the target. The target includes an element capable of a nuclear fusion reaction with the ionized atomic species to produce a one or more neutrons as a reaction by-product.

Estimation of Electron Bernstein Emission in the TJ-II Stellarator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

García-Rega\\ Na, J. M.; Cappa, A.; Castejón, F.; Tereshchenko, M.

2009-05-01

In order to study experimentally the viability of first harmonic EBW heating in the TJ-II stellarator by means of the O-X-B tecnique [1], an EBE diagnostic was recently installed [2]. In the present work a theoretical estimation of the EBW radiation in the TJ-II plasmas have been carried out making use of the ray tracing code TRUBA [3]. The line of sight of the EBE diagnostic may be modified using an internal movable mirror and therefore, for comparison with the experimental results, the theoretical O-X-B emission window has been determined. Experimental density and temperature profiles obtained in NBI discharges are considered in the simulations.References:[1] F. Castejon et al, Nucl. Fusion 48, 075011 (2008).[2] J. Caughman et al, Proc. 15th Joint Workshop on ECE and ECRH, Yosemite, USA (2008).[3] M. A. Tereshchenko et. al, Proc. 30th EPS Conference on Contr. Fusion and Plasma Phys., 27A, P-1.18 (2003).

Constructing Integrable Full-pressure Full-current Free-boundary Stellarator Magnetohydrodynamic Equilibria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hudson, S. R.; Monticello, D. A.; Reiman, A. H.; Strickler, D. J.; Hirshman, S. P.

2003-06-01

For the (non-axisymmetric) stellarator class of plasma confinement devices to be feasible candidates for fusion power stations it is essential that, to a good approximation, the magnetic field lines lie on nested flux surfaces; however, the inherent lack of a continuous symmetry implies that magnetic islands are guaranteed to exist. Magnetic islands break the smooth topology of nested flux surfaces and chaotic field lines result when magnetic islands overlap. An analogous case occurs with 11/2-dimension Hamiltonian systems where resonant perturbations cause singularities in the transformation to action-angle coordinates and destroy integrability. The suppression of magnetic islands is a critical issue for stellarator design, particularly for small aspect ratio devices. Techniques for `healing' vacuum fields and fixed-boundary plasma equilibria have been developed, but what is ultimately required is a procedure for designing stellarators such that the self-consistent plasma equilibrium currents and the coil currents combine to produce an integrable magnetic field, and such a procedure is presented here for the first time. Magnetic islands in free-boundary full-pressure full-current stellarator magnetohydrodynamic equilibria are suppressed using a procedure based on the Princeton Iterative Equilibrium Solver [A.H.Reiman & H.S.Greenside, Comp. Phys. Comm., 43:157, 1986.] which iterates the equilibrium equations to obtain the plasma equilibrium. At each iteration, changes to a Fourier representation of the coil geometry are made to cancel resonant fields produced by the plasma. As the iterations continue, the coil geometry and the plasma simultaneously converge to an equilibrium in which the island content is negligible. The method is applied to a candidate plasma and coil design for the National Compact Stellarator eXperiment [G.H.Neilson et.al., Phys. Plas., 7:1911, 2000.].

Coaxial CVD diamond detector for neutron diagnostics at ShenGuang III laser facility.

PubMed

Yu, Bo; Liu, Shenye; Chen, Zhongjing; Huang, Tianxuan; Jiang, Wei; Chen, Bolun; Pu, Yudong; Yan, Ji; Zhang, Xing; Song, Zifeng; Tang, Qi; Hou, Lifei; Ding, Yongkun; Zheng, Jian

2017-06-01

A coaxial, high performance diamond detector has been developed for neutron diagnostics of inertial confinement fusion at ShenGuangIII laser facility. A Φ10 mm × 1 mm "optical grade" chemical-vapor deposition diamond wafer is assembled in coaxial-designing housing, and the signal is linked to a SubMiniature A connector by the cathode cone. The coaxial diamond detector performs excellently for neutron measurement with the full width at half maximum of response time to be 444 ps for a 50 Ω measurement system. The average sensitivity is 0.677 μV ns/n for 14 MeV (DT fusion) neutrons at an electric field of 1000 V/mm, and the linear dynamic range is beyond three orders of magnitude. The ion temperature results fluctuate widely from the neutron time-of-flight scintillator detector results because of the short flight length. These characteristics of small size, large linear dynamic range, and insensitive to x-ray make the diamond detector suitable to measure the neutron yield, ion temperature, and neutron emission time.

An ultra-relativistic outflow from a neutron star accreting gas from a companion.

PubMed

Fender, Rob; Wu, Kinwah; Johnston, Helen; Tzioumis, Tasso; Jonker, Peter; Spencer, Ralph; Van Der Klis, Michiel

2004-01-15

Collimated relativistic outflows-also known as jets-are amongst the most energetic phenomena in the Universe. They are associated with supermassive black holes in distant active galactic nuclei, accreting stellar-mass black holes and neutron stars in binary systems and are believed to be responsible for gamma-ray bursts. The physics of these jets, however, remains something of a mystery in that their bulk velocities, compositions and energetics remain poorly determined. Here we report the discovery of an ultra-relativistic outflow from a neutron star accreting gas within a binary stellar system. The velocity of the outflow is comparable to the fastest-moving flows observed from active galactic nuclei, and its strength is modulated by the rate of accretion of material onto the neutron star. Shocks are energized further downstream in the flow, which are themselves moving at mildly relativistic bulk velocities and are the sites of the observed synchrotron emission from the jet. We conclude that the generation of highly relativistic outflows does not require properties that are unique to black holes, such as an event horizon.

Systematic study on the isotopic behavior of fusion barrier using the density-dependent nucleon-nucleon interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghodsi, O. N.; Khalaj, M.

By changing the neutron and nuclear matter incompressibility constant K, we investigate the isotopic behavior of the fusion barriers for the collision of large number of different isotopes with condition of 0.7 ≤ N/Z ≤ 1.36. Here, the double folding (DF) model which is accompanied by density-dependent (DD) versions of M3Y interactions is adopted as a basic heavy ion-ion potential. We show that the selected DD potentials predict a linear behavior for the calculated fusion barrier heights as a function of (N/Z - 1) for both proton- and neutron-rich systems. Moreover, the results indicate that the isotopic behavior of these values depend linearly on the change in the K constant. The isotopic studies conducted on the fusion cross-section also shows that the properties of the nuclear matter in the range of energy which is below the fusion barrier will quite affect the fusion process.

Refined Calculations of Secondary Nuclear Reactions in Magneto-Inertial Fusion Plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmit, Paul; Knapp, Patrick; Hansen, Stephanie; Gomez, Matthew; Hahn, Kelly; Sinars, Daniel; Peterson, Kyle; Slutz, Stephen; Sefkow, Adam; Awe, Thomas; Harding, Eric; Jennings, Christopher

2014-10-01

Diagnosing the degree of magnetic flux compression at stagnation in magneto-inertial fusion (MIF) is critical for charting the performance of any MIF concept. In pure deuterium plasma, the transport of high-energy tritons produced by the aneutronic DD fusion reaction depends strongly on the magnetic field. The tritons probe and occasionally react with the fuel, emitting secondary DT neutrons. We show that the DT/DD neutron yield ratio and the secondary DT neutron spectra can be used to infer the magnetic field-radius product (BR), the critical confinement parameter for MIF. The amount of fuel-pusher mix also can be constrained by secondary reactions. We discuss the sensitivity to plasma inhomogeneities of the calculations and outline methods to relate secondary yields to alpha particle energy deposition in ignition-relevant experiments employing DT fuel. We compare our calculations to recent tests of the Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion (MagLIF) concept on the Z Pulsed Power Facility. Supported in part by the SNL Truman Fellowship, which is part of the LDRD Program, and sponsored by Sandia Corporation (a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation) as Operator of SNL under its U.S. DoE Contract No. DE-AC04-94AL85000.

Calculating Formulae of Proportion Factor and Mean Neutron Exposure in the Exponential Expression of Neutron Exposure Distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng-Hua, Zhang; Gui-De, Zhou; Kun, Ma; Wen-Juan, Ma; Wen-Yuan, Cui; Bo, Zhang

2016-07-01

Previous studies have shown that, for the three main stages of the development and evolution of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star s-process models, the neutron exposure distribution (DNE) in the nucleosynthesis region can always be considered as an exponential function, i.e., ρAGB(τ) = C/τ0 exp(-τ/τ0) in an effective range of the neutron exposure values. However, the specific expressions of the proportion factor C and the mean neutron exposure τ0 in the exponential distribution function for different models are not completely determined in the related literature. Through dissecting the basic method to obtain the exponential DNE, and systematically analyzing the solution procedures of neutron exposure distribution functions in different stellar models, the general formulae, as well as their auxiliary equations, for calculating C and τ0 are derived. Given the discrete neutron exposure distribution Pk, the relationships of C and τ0 with the model parameters can be determined. The result of this study has effectively solved the problem to analytically calculate the DNE in the current low-mass AGB star s-process nucleosynthesis model of 13C-pocket radiative burning.

Super-Eddington stellar winds driven by near-surface energy deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quataert, Eliot; Fernández, Rodrigo; Kasen, Daniel; Klion, Hannah; Paxton, Bill

2016-05-01

We develop analytic and numerical models of the properties of super-Eddington stellar winds, motivated by phases in stellar evolution when super-Eddington energy deposition (via, e.g. unstable fusion, wave heating, or a binary companion) heats a region near the stellar surface. This appears to occur in the giant eruptions of luminous blue variables (LBVs), Type IIn supernovae progenitors, classical novae, and X-ray bursts. We show that when the wind kinetic power exceeds Eddington, the photons are trapped and behave like a fluid. Convection does not play a significant role in the wind energy transport. The wind properties depend on the ratio of a characteristic speed in the problem v_crit˜ (dot{E} G)^{1/5} (where dot{E} is the heating rate) to the stellar escape speed near the heating region vesc(rh). For vcrit ≳ vesc(rh), the wind kinetic power at large radii dot{E}_w ˜ dot{E}. For vcrit ≲ vesc(rh), most of the energy is used to unbind the wind material and thus dot{E}_w ≲ dot{E}. Multidimensional hydrodynamic simulations without radiation diffusion using FLASH and one-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations with radiation diffusion using MESA are in good agreement with the analytic predictions. The photon luminosity from the wind is itself super-Eddington but in many cases the photon luminosity is likely dominated by `internal shocks' in the wind. We discuss the application of our models to eruptive mass-loss from massive stars and argue that the wind models described here can account for the broad properties of LBV outflows and the enhanced mass-loss in the years prior to Type IIn core-collapse supernovae.

Experimental Investigation of Muon-Catalyzed d-t Fusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, S. E.; Anderson, A. N.; Caffrey, A. J.; Walter, J. B.; Watts, K. D.; Bradbury, J. N.; Gram, P. A. M.; Leon, M.; Maltrud, H. R.; Paciotti, M. A.

1983-11-01

Measurements of the absolute neutron yield and the time dependence of the appearance of neutrons resulting from muon-catalyzed fusion have been carried out in high-density deuterium-tritium mixtures. The temperature dependence of the resonant dtμ-molecular formation process has been determined in the range 100 to 540 K. Mesomolecular formation is found to be resonant for DT as well as D2 target molecules. The sticking probability and other fundamental parameters have been measured for the first time.

Predicting gravitational lensing by stellar remnants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harding, Alexander J.; Stefano, R. Di; Lépine, S.; Urama, J.; Pham, D.; Baker, C.

2018-03-01

Gravitational lensing provides a means to measure mass that does not rely on detecting and analysing light from the lens itself. Compact objects are ideal gravitational lenses, because they have relatively large masses and are dim. In this paper, we describe the prospects for predicting lensing events generated by the local population of compact objects, consisting of 250 neutron stars, five black holes, and ≈35 000 white dwarfs. By focusing on a population of nearby compact objects with measured proper motions and known distances from us, we can measure their masses by studying the characteristics of any lensing event they generate. Here, we concentrate on shifts in the position of a background source due to lensing by a foreground compact object. With Hubble Space Telescope, JWST, and Gaia, measurable centroid shifts caused by lensing are relatively frequent occurrences. We find that 30-50 detectable events per decade are expected for white dwarfs. Because relatively few neutron stars and black holes have measured distances and proper motions, it is more difficult to compute realistic rates for them. However, we show that at least one isolated neutron star has likely produced detectable events during the past several decades. This work is particularly relevant to the upcoming data releases by the Gaia mission and also to data that will be collected by JWST. Monitoring predicted microlensing events will not only help to determine the masses of compact objects, but will also potentially discover dim companions to these stellar remnants, including orbiting exoplanets.

The pseudo-symmetric optimization of the National Compact Stellarator Experiment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Isaev, M.Y.; Mikhailov, M.I.; Monticello, D.A.

1999-08-01

A new experiment, the National Compact Stellarator Experiment (NCSX) [Monticello {ital et al.} {open_quotes}Physics Consideration for the Design of NCSX,{close_quotes} {ital Proceedings of 25th EPS Conference on Controlled Fusion and Plasma Physics, Prague, 1998} (European Physical Society, Petit-Lancy), paper 1.187], hopes to overcome the deleterious ripple transport usually associated with stellarators by creating a quasi-axisymmetric configuration. A quasi-axisymmetric configuration is one in which the Fourier spectrum of the magnetic field strength in so-called Boozer coordinates is dominated by the toroidal angle averaged (n=0) components. In this article the concept of pseudosymmetry is used to improve ripple transport in a four-periodmore » variant of NCSX. By definition, pseudosymmetric magnetic configurations have no locally trapped particles. To obtain a pseudosymmetric configuration, different target functions are considered. It is found that a target function equal to the area of ripple of the magnetic field magnitude along the field line is very effective in reducing the neoclassical transport coefficient. {copyright} {ital 1999 American Institute of Physics.}« less

FOREWORD: Neutron metrology Neutron metrology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, David J.; Nolte, Ralf; Gressier, Vincent

2011-12-01

industry, from the initial fuel enrichment and fabrication processes right through to storage or reprocessing, and neutron metrology is clearly important in this area. Neutron fields do, however, occur in other areas, for example where neutron sources are used in oil well logging and moisture measurements. They also occur around high energy accelerators, including photon linear accelerators used for cancer therapy, and are expected to be a more serious problem around the new hadron radiation therapy facilities. Roughly 50% of the cosmic ray doses experienced by fliers at the flight altitudes of commercial aircraft are due to neutrons. Current research on fusion presents neutron metrology with a whole new range of challenges because of the very high fluences expected. One of the most significant features of neutron fields is the very wide range of possible neutron energies. In the nuclear industry, for example, neutrons occur with energies from those of thermal neutrons at a few meV to the upper end of the fission spectrum at perhaps 10 MeV. For cosmic ray dosimetry the energy range extends into the GeV region. This enormous range sets a challenge for designing measuring devices and a parallel challenge of developing measurement standards for characterizing these devices. One of the major considerations when deciding on topics for this special issue was agreeing on what not to include. Modelling, i.e. the use of radiation transport codes, is now a very important aspect of neutron measurements. These calculations are vital for shielding and for instrument design; nevertheless, the topic has only been included here where it has a direct bearing on metrology and the development of standards. Neutron spectrometry is an increasingly important technique for unravelling some of the problems of dose equivalent measurements and for plasma diagnostics in fusion research. However, this topic is at least one step removed from primary metrology and so it was felt that it should not be

Performance study of the neutron-TPC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Meng; Li, Yulan; Niu, Libo; Deng, Zhi; Cheng, Xiaolei; He, Li; Zhang, Hongyan; Fu, Jianqiang; Yan, Yangyang; Cai, Yiming; Li, Yuanjing

2017-02-01

Fast neutron spectrometers will play an important role in the future of the nuclear industry and nuclear physics experiments, in tasks such as fast neutron reactor monitoring, thermo-nuclear fusion plasma diagnostics, nuclear reaction cross-section measurement, and special nuclear material detection. Recently, a new fast neutron spectrometer based on a GEM (Gas Electron Multiplier amplification)-TPC (Time Projection Chamber), named the neutron-TPC, has been under development at Tsinghua University. It is designed to have a high energy resolution, high detection efficiency, easy access to the medium material, an outstanding n/γ suppression ratio, and a wide range of applications. This paper presents the design, test, and experimental study of the neutron-TPC. Based on the experimental results, the energy resolution (FWHM) of the neutron-TPC can reach 15.7%, 10.3% and 7.0% with detection efficiency higher than 10-5 for 1.2 MeV, 1.81 MeV and 2.5 MeV neutrons respectively. Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (11275109)

Neutron Stars in Supernova Remnants and Beyond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gvaramadze, V. V.

We discuss a concept of off-centred cavity supernova explosion as applied to neutron star/supernova remnant associations and show how this concept could be used to preclude the anti-humane decapitating the Duck (G5.4-1.2 + G5.27-0.9) and dismembering the Swan (Cygnus Loop), as well as to search for a stellar remnant associated with the supernova remnant RCW86.

Study of neutron generation in the compact tokamak TUMAN-3M in support of a tokamak-based fusion neutron source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kornev, V. A.; Askinazi, L. G.; Belokurov, A. A.; Chernyshev, F. V.; Lebedev, S. V.; Melnik, A. D.; Shabelsky, A. A.; Tukachinsky, A. S.; Zhubr, N. A.

2017-12-01

The paper presents DD neutron flux measurements in neutron beam injection (NBI) experiments aimed at the optimization of target plasma and heating beam parameters to achieve maximum neutron flux in the TUMAN-3M compact tokamak. Two ion sources of different design were used, which allowed the separation of the beam’s energy and power influence on the neutron rate. Using the database of experiments performed with the two ion sources, an empirical scaling was derived describing the neutron rate dependence on the target plasma and heating beam parameters. Numerical modeling of the neutron rate in the NBI experiments performed using the ASTRA transport code showed good agreement with the scaling.

Enhanced NIF neutron activation diagnostics.

PubMed

Yeamans, C B; Bleuel, D L; Bernstein, L A

2012-10-01

The NIF neutron activation diagnostic suite relies on removable activation samples, leading to operational inefficiencies and a fundamental lower limit on the half-life of the activated product that can be observed. A neutron diagnostic system measuring activation of permanently installed samples could remove these limitations and significantly enhance overall neutron diagnostic capabilities. The physics and engineering aspects of two proposed systems are considered: one measuring the (89)Zr/(89 m)Zr isomer ratio in the existing Zr activation medium and the other using potassium zirconate as the activation medium. Both proposed systems could improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the current system by at least a factor of 5 and would allow independent measurement of fusion core velocity and fuel areal density.

Characterizing the astrophysical S factor for 12C+12C fusion with wave-packet dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diaz-Torres, Alexis; Wiescher, Michael

2018-05-01

A quantitative study of the astrophysically important subbarrier fusion of 12C+12C is presented. Low-energy collisions are described in the body-fixed reference frame using wave-packet dynamics within a nuclear molecular picture. A collective Hamiltonian drives the time propagation of the wave packet through the collective potential-energy landscape. The fusion imaginary potential for specific dinuclear configurations is crucial for understanding the appearance of resonances in the fusion cross section. The theoretical subbarrier fusion cross sections explain some observed resonant structures in the astrophysical S factor. These cross sections monotonically decline towards stellar energies. The structures in the data that are not explained are possibly due to cluster effects in the nuclear molecule, which need to be included in the present approach.

The Hibernating Stellar Magnet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2008-09-01

First Optically Active Magnetar-Candidate Discovered Astronomers have discovered a most bizarre celestial object that emitted 40 visible-light flashes before disappearing again. It is most likely to be a missing link in the family of neutron stars, the first case of an object with an amazingly powerful magnetic field that showed some brief, strong visible-light activity. Hibernating Stellar Magnet ESO PR Photo 31/08 The Hibernating Stellar Magnet This weird object initially misled its discoverers as it showed up as a gamma-ray burst, suggesting the death of a star in the distant Universe. But soon afterwards, it exhibited some unique behaviour that indicates its origin is much closer to us. After the initial gamma-ray pulse, there was a three-day period of activity during which 40 visible-light flares were observed, followed by a brief near-infrared flaring episode 11 days later, which was recorded by ESO's Very Large Telescope. Then the source became dormant again. "We are dealing with an object that has been hibernating for decades before entering a brief period of activity", explains Alberto J. Castro-Tirado, lead author of a paper in this week's issue of Nature. The most likely candidate for this mystery object is a 'magnetar' located in our own Milky Way galaxy, about 15 000 light-years away towards the constellation of Vulpecula, the Fox. Magnetars are young neutron stars with an ultra-strong magnetic field a billion billion times stronger than that of the Earth. "A magnetar would wipe the information from all credit cards on Earth from a distance halfway to the Moon," says co-author Antonio de Ugarte Postigo. "Magnetars remain quiescent for decades. It is likely that there is a considerable population in the Milky Way, although only about a dozen have been identified." Some scientists have noted that magnetars should be evolving towards a pleasant retirement as their magnetic fields decay, but no suitable source had been identified up to now as evidence for

Determining the properties of accretion-gap neutron stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kluzniak, Wlodzimierz; Michelson, Peter; Wagoner, Robert V.

1990-01-01

If neutron stars have radii as small as has been argued by some, observations of accretion-powered X-rays could verify the existence of innermost stable circular orbits (predicted by general relativity) around weakly magnetized neutron stars. This may be done by detecting X-ray emission from clumps of matter before and after they cross the gap (where matter cannot be supported by rotation) between the inner accretion disk and the stellar surface. Assuming the validity of general relativity, it would then be possible to determine the masses of such neutron stars independently of any knowledge of binary orbital parameters. If an accurate mass determination were already available through any of the methods conventionally used, the new mass determination method proposed here could then be used to quantitatively test strong field effects of gravitational theory.

Effects of unconventional breakup modes on incomplete fusion of weakly bound nuclei

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diaz-Torres, Alexis; Quraishi, Daanish

2018-02-01

The incomplete fusion dynamics of 6Li+209Bi collisions at energies above the Coulomb barrier is investigated. The classical dynamical model implemented in the platypus code is used to understand and quantify the impact of both 6Li resonance states and transfer-triggered breakup modes (involving short-lived projectile-like nuclei such as 8Be and 5Li) on the formation of incomplete fusion products. Model calculations explain the experimental incomplete-fusion excitation function fairly well, indicating that (i) delayed direct breakup of 6Li reduces the incomplete fusion cross sections and (ii) the neutron-stripping channel practically determines those cross sections.

Nuclear Fusion Blast and Electrode Lifetimes in a PJMIF Reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thio, Y. C. Francis; Witherspoon, F. D.; Case, A.; Brockington, S.; Cruz, E.; Luna, M.; Hsu, S. C.

2017-10-01

We present an analysis and numerical simulation of the nuclear blast from the micro-explosion following the completion of the fusion burn for a baseline design of a PJMIF fusion reactor with a fusion gain of 20. The stagnation pressure from the blast against the chamber wall defines the engineering requirement for the structural design of the first wall and the plasma guns. We also present an analysis of the lifetimes of the electrodes of the plasma guns which are exposed to (1) the high current, and (2) the neutron produced by the fusion reactions. We anticipate that the gun electrodes are made of tungsten alloys as plasma facing components reinforced structurally by appropriate steel alloys. Making reasonable assumptions about the electrode erosion rate (100 ng/C transfer), the electrode lifetime limited by the erosion rate is estimated to be between 19 and 24 million pulses before replacement. Based on known neutron radiation effects on structural materials such as steel alloys and plasma facing component materials such as tungsten alloys, the plasma guns are expected to survive some 22 million shots. At 1 Hz, this equal to about 6 months of continuous operation before they need to be replaced. Work supported by Strong Atomics, LLC.

Development of next generation tempered and ODS reduced activation ferritic/martensitic steels for fusion energy applications

DOE PAGES

Zinkle, S. J.; Boutard, J. L.; Hoelzer, D. T.; ...

2017-06-09

Reduced activation ferritic/martensitic steels are currently the most technologically mature option for the structural material of proposed fusion energy reactors. Advanced next-generation higher performance steels offer the opportunity for improvements in fusion reactor operational lifetime and reliability, superior neutron radiation damage resistance, higher thermodynamic efficiency, and reduced construction costs. The two main strategies for developing improved steels for fusion energy applications are based on (1) an evolutionary pathway using computational thermodynamics modelling and modified thermomechanical treatments (TMT) to produce higher performance reduced activation ferritic/martensitic (RAFM) steels and (2) a higher risk, potentially higher payoff approach based on powder metallurgy techniquesmore » to produce very high strength oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) steels capable of operation to very high temperatures and with potentially very high resistance to fusion neutron-induced property degradation. The current development status of these next-generation high performance steels is summarized, and research and development challenges for the successful development of these materials are outlined. In conclusion, material properties including temperature-dependent uniaxial yield strengths, tensile elongations, high-temperature thermal creep, Charpy impact ductile to brittle transient temperature (DBTT) and fracture toughness behaviour, and neutron irradiation-induced low-temperature hardening and embrittlement and intermediate-temperature volumetric void swelling (including effects associated with fusion-relevant helium and hydrogen generation) are described for research heats of the new steels.« less

Development of next generation tempered and ODS reduced activation ferritic/martensitic steels for fusion energy applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zinkle, S. J.; Boutard, J. L.; Hoelzer, D. T.; Kimura, A.; Lindau, R.; Odette, G. R.; Rieth, M.; Tan, L.; Tanigawa, H.

2017-09-01

Reduced activation ferritic/martensitic steels are currently the most technologically mature option for the structural material of proposed fusion energy reactors. Advanced next-generation higher performance steels offer the opportunity for improvements in fusion reactor operational lifetime and reliability, superior neutron radiation damage resistance, higher thermodynamic efficiency, and reduced construction costs. The two main strategies for developing improved steels for fusion energy applications are based on (1) an evolutionary pathway using computational thermodynamics modelling and modified thermomechanical treatments (TMT) to produce higher performance reduced activation ferritic/martensitic (RAFM) steels and (2) a higher risk, potentially higher payoff approach based on powder metallurgy techniques to produce very high strength oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) steels capable of operation to very high temperatures and with potentially very high resistance to fusion neutron-induced property degradation. The current development status of these next-generation high performance steels is summarized, and research and development challenges for the successful development of these materials are outlined. Material properties including temperature-dependent uniaxial yield strengths, tensile elongations, high-temperature thermal creep, Charpy impact ductile to brittle transient temperature (DBTT) and fracture toughness behaviour, and neutron irradiation-induced low-temperature hardening and embrittlement and intermediate-temperature volumetric void swelling (including effects associated with fusion-relevant helium and hydrogen generation) are described for research heats of the new steels.

Development of next generation tempered and ODS reduced activation ferritic/martensitic steels for fusion energy applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zinkle, S. J.; Boutard, J. L.; Hoelzer, D. T.

Reduced activation ferritic/martensitic steels are currently the most technologically mature option for the structural material of proposed fusion energy reactors. Advanced next-generation higher performance steels offer the opportunity for improvements in fusion reactor operational lifetime and reliability, superior neutron radiation damage resistance, higher thermodynamic efficiency, and reduced construction costs. The two main strategies for developing improved steels for fusion energy applications are based on (1) an evolutionary pathway using computational thermodynamics modelling and modified thermomechanical treatments (TMT) to produce higher performance reduced activation ferritic/martensitic (RAFM) steels and (2) a higher risk, potentially higher payoff approach based on powder metallurgy techniquesmore » to produce very high strength oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) steels capable of operation to very high temperatures and with potentially very high resistance to fusion neutron-induced property degradation. The current development status of these next-generation high performance steels is summarized, and research and development challenges for the successful development of these materials are outlined. In conclusion, material properties including temperature-dependent uniaxial yield strengths, tensile elongations, high-temperature thermal creep, Charpy impact ductile to brittle transient temperature (DBTT) and fracture toughness behaviour, and neutron irradiation-induced low-temperature hardening and embrittlement and intermediate-temperature volumetric void swelling (including effects associated with fusion-relevant helium and hydrogen generation) are described for research heats of the new steels.« less

Probing thermonuclear burning on accreting neutron stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keek, L.

2008-12-01

Neutron stars are the most compact stars that can be directly observed, which makes them ideal laboratories to study physics at extreme densities. Neutron stars in low-mass X-ray binaries accrete hydrogen and helium from a lower-mass companion star through Roche lobe overflow. This matter undergoes thermonuclear burning in the neutron star envelope, creating carbon and heavier elements. The fusion process may proceed in an unstable manner, resulting in a thermonuclear runaway. Within one second the entire surface is burned, which is observable as a sharp rise in the emitted X-ray flux: a type I X-ray burst. Afterwards the neutron star surface cools down on a timescale of ten to one hundred seconds. During these bursts the surface of an accreting neutron star can be observed directly, which makes them instrumental for studying this type of stars. We have studied rare kinds of X-ray bursts. One such rare burst is the superburst, which lasts a thousand times longer than an ordinary burst. Superbursts are thought to result from the explosive burning of a thick carbon layer, which lies deeper inside the neutron star, close to a layer known as the crust. A prerequisite for the occurrence of a superburst is a high enough temperature, which is set by the temperature of the crust and the heat conductivity of the envelope. The latter is lowered by the presence of heavy elements that are produced during normal X-ray bursts. Using a large set of observations from the Wide Field Camera's onboard the BeppoSAX satellite, we find that, at high accretion rate, sources which do not exhibit normal bursts likely have a longer superburst recurrence time, than the observed superburst recurrence time of one burster. We analyze in detail the first superburst from a transient source, which went into outburst only 55 days before the superburst. Recent models of the neutron star crust predict that this is too small a time to heat the crust sufficiently for superburst ignition, indicating

Method of using deuterium-cluster foils for an intense pulsed neutron source

DOEpatents

Miley, George H.; Yang, Xiaoling

2013-09-03

A method is provided for producing neutrons, comprising: providing a converter foil comprising deuterium clusters; focusing a laser on the foil with power and energy sufficient to cause deuteron ions to separate from the foil; and striking a surface of a target with the deuteron ions from the converter foil with energy sufficient to cause neutron production by a reaction selected from the group consisting of D-D fusion, D-T fusion, D-metal nuclear spallation, and p-metal. A further method is provided for assembling a plurality of target assemblies for a target injector to be used in the previously mentioned manner. A further method is provided for producing neutrons, comprising: splitting a laser beam into a first beam and a second beam; striking a first surface of a target with the first beam, and an opposite second surface of the target with the second beam with energy sufficient to cause neutron production.

Computational Design of Short Pulse Laser Driven Iron Opacity Measurements at Stellar-Relevant Conditions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Martin, Madison E.

Opacity is a critical parameter in the simulation of radiation transport in systems such as inertial con nement fusion capsules and stars. The resolution of current disagreements between solar models and helioseismological observations would bene t from experimental validation of theoretical opacity models. Overall, short pulse laser heated iron experiments reaching stellar-relevant conditions have been designed with consideration of minimizing tamper emission and optical depth effects while meeting plasma condition and x-ray emission goals.

STELLAR ATMOSPHERES, ATMOSPHERIC EXTENSION, AND FUNDAMENTAL PARAMETERS: WEIGHING STARS USING THE STELLAR MASS INDEX

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Neilson, Hilding R.; Lester, John B.; Baron, Fabien

2016-10-20

One of the great challenges of understanding stars is measuring their masses. The best methods for measuring stellar masses include binary interaction, asteroseismology, and stellar evolution models, but these methods are not ideal for red giant and supergiant stars. In this work, we propose a novel method for inferring stellar masses of evolved red giant and supergiant stars using interferometric and spectrophotometric observations combined with spherical model stellar atmospheres to measure what we call the stellar mass index, defined as the ratio between the stellar radius and mass. The method is based on the correlation between different measurements of angularmore » diameter, used as a proxy for atmospheric extension, and fundamental stellar parameters. For a given star, spectrophotometry measures the Rosseland angular diameter while interferometric observations generally probe a larger limb-darkened angular diameter. The ratio of these two angular diameters is proportional to the relative extension of the stellar atmosphere, which is strongly correlated to the star’s effective temperature, radius, and mass. We show that these correlations are strong and can lead to precise measurements of stellar masses.« less

Comparison between initial Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion experiments and integrated simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sefkow, A. B.; Gomez, M. R.; Geissel, M.; Hahn, K. D.; Hansen, S. B.; Harding, E. C.; Peterson, K. J.; Slutz, S. A.; Koning, J. M.; Marinak, M. M.

2014-10-01

The Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion (MagLIF) approach to ICF has obtained thermonuclear fusion yields using the Z facility. Integrated magnetohydrodynamic simulations provided the design for the first neutron-producing experiments using capabilities that presently exist, and the initial experiments measured stagnation radii rstag < 75 μm, temperatures around 3 keV, and isotropic neutron yields up to YnDD = 2 ×1012 from imploded liners reaching peak velocities around 70 km/s over an implosion time of about 60 ns. We present comparisons between the experimental observables and post-shot degraded integrated simulations. Sandia is a multiprogram laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin Company, for the National Nuclear Security Administration under Contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.

Neutron Stars with Delta-Resonances in the Walecka and Zimanyi-Moszkowski Models

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fong, C. T.; Oliveira, J. C. T.; Rodrigues, H.

2010-11-12

In the present work we have obtained the equation of state of the highly asymmetric dense stellar matter focusing on the delta resonance formation. We extended the nonlinear Walecka (NLW) and Zimanyi-Moszkowski (ZM) models to accommodate in the context of the relativistic mean field approximation the Rarita-Schwinger field for the spin 3/2 resonances. With the constructed stellar matter equations of state we solve numerically the TOV equation (Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff) in order to determine the internal structure of neutron stars, and discuss the obtained masses versus radii diagram.

The Influence of Stellar Spin on Ignition of Thermonuclear Runaways

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galloway, Duncan K.; in ’t Zand, Jean J. M.; Chenevez, Jérôme; Keek, Laurens; Sanchez-Fernandez, Celia; Worpel, Hauke; Lampe, Nathanael; Kuulkers, Erik; Watts, Anna; Ootes, Laura; The MINBAR collaboration

2018-04-01

Runaway thermonuclear burning of a layer of accumulated fuel on the surface of a compact star provides a brief but intense display of stellar nuclear processes. For neutron stars accreting from a binary companion, these events manifest as thermonuclear (type-I) X-ray bursts, and recur on typical timescales of hours to days. We measured the burst rate as a function of accretion rate, from seven neutron stars with known spin rates, using a burst sample accumulated over several decades. At the highest accretion rates, the burst rate is lower for faster spinning stars. The observations imply that fast (>400 Hz) rotation encourages stabilization of nuclear burning, suggesting a dynamical dependence of nuclear ignition on the spin rate. This dependence is unexpected, because faster rotation entails less shear between the surrounding accretion disk and the star. Large-scale circulation in the fuel layer, leading to enhanced mixing of the burst ashes into the fuel layer, may explain this behavior; further numerical simulations are required to confirm this.

A route to the brightest possible neutron source?

PubMed

Taylor, Andrew; Dunne, Mike; Bennington, Steve; Ansell, Stuart; Gardner, Ian; Norreys, Peter; Broome, Tim; Findlay, David; Nelmes, Richard

2007-02-23

We review the potential to develop sources for neutron scattering science and propose that a merger with the rapidly developing field of inertial fusion energy could provide a major step-change in performance. In stark contrast to developments in synchrotron and laser science, the past 40 years have seen only a factor of 10 increase in neutron source brightness. With the advent of thermonuclear ignition in the laboratory, coupled to innovative approaches in how this may be achieved, we calculate that a neutron source three orders of magnitude more powerful than any existing facility can be envisaged on a 20- to 30-year time scale. Such a leap in source power would transform neutron scattering science.

Origin of Neutron Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brecher, K.

1999-12-01

The origin of the concept of neutron stars can be traced to two brief, incredibly insightful publications. Work on the earlier paper by Lev Landau (Phys. Z. Sowjetunion, 1, 285, 1932) actually predated the discovery of neutrons. Nonetheless, Landau arrived at the notion of a collapsed star with the density of a nucleus (really a "nucleus star") and demonstrated (at about the same time as, and independent of, Chandrasekhar) that there is an upper mass limit for dense stellar objects of about 1.5 solar masses. Perhaps even more remarkable is the abstract of a talk presented at the December 1933 meeting of the American Physical Society published by Walter Baade and Fritz Zwicky in 1934 (Phys. Rev. 45, 138). It followed the discovery of the neutron by just over a year. Their report, which was about the same length as the present abstract: (1) invented the concept and word supernova; (2) suggested that cosmic rays are produced by supernovae; and (3) in the authors own words, proposed "with all reserve ... the view that supernovae represent the transitions from ordinary stars to neutron stars (italics), which in their final stages consist of extremely closely packed neutrons." The abstract by Baade and Zwicky probably contains the highest density of new, important (and correct) ideas in high energy astrophysics ever published in a single paper. In this talk, we will discuss some of the facts and myths surrounding these two publications.

Fusion pumped light source

DOEpatents

Pappas, Daniel S.

1989-01-01

Apparatus is provided for generating energy in the form of light radiation. A fusion reactor is provided for generating a long, or continuous, pulse of high-energy neutrons. The neutron flux is coupled directly with the lasing medium. The lasing medium includes a first component selected from Group O of the periodic table of the elements and having a high inelastic scattering cross section. Gamma radiation from the inelastic scattering reactions interacts with the first component to excite the first component, which decays by photon emission at a first output wavelength. The first output wavelength may be shifted to a second output wavelength using a second liquid component responsive to the first output wavelength. The light outputs may be converted to a coherent laser output by incorporating conventional optics adjacent the laser medium.

Laser-driven fusion reactor

DOEpatents

Hedstrom, J.C.

1973-10-01

A laser-driven fusion reactor consisting of concentric spherical vessels in which the thermonuclear energy is derived from a deuterium-tritium (D + T) burn within a pellet'', located at the center of the vessels and initiated by a laser pulse. The resulting alpha -particle energy and a small fraction of the neutron energy are deposited within the pellet; this pellet energy is eventually transformed into sensible heat of lithium in a condenser outside the vessels. The remaining neutron energy is dissipated in a lithium blanket, located within the concentric vessels, where the fuel ingredient, tritium, is also produced. The heat content of the blanket and of the condenser lithium is eventually transferred to a conventional thermodynamic plant where the thermal energy is converted to electrical energy in a steam Rankine cycle. (Official Gazette)

Neutron stars in supernova remnants and beyond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gvaramadze, V.

We propose a new approach for studying the neutron star/supernova remnant associations, based on the idea that the supernova remnants can be products of an off-centered supernova explosion in a preexisting bubble created by the wind of a moving massive star. A cavity supernova explosion of a moving star results in a considerable offset of the neutron star birth-place from the geometrical center of the supernova remnant. Therefore: a) the high transverse velocities inferred for a number of neutron stars through their association with supernova remnants can be reduced; b) the proper motion vector of a neutron star should not necessarily point away from the geometrical center of the associated supernova remnant. Taking into account these two facts allow us to enlarge the circle of possible neutron star/supernova remnant associations, and could significantly affect the results of previous studies of associations. The possibilities of our approach are illustrated with some examples. We also show that the concept of an off-centered cavity supernova explosion could be used to explain the peculiar structures of a number of supernova remnants and for searches for stellar remnants possibly associated with them.

Fission-suppressed fusion breeder on the thorium cycle and nonproliferation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moir, R. W.

2012-06-19

Fusion reactors could be designed to breed fissile material while suppressing fissioning thereby enhancing safety. The produced fuel could be used to startup and makeup fuel for fission reactors. Each fusion reaction can produce typically 0.6 fissile atoms and release about 1.6 times the 14 MeV neutron's energy in the blanket in the fission-suppressed design. This production rate is 2660 kg/1000 MW of fusion power for a year. The revenues would be doubled from such a plant by selling fuel at a price of 60/g and electricity at $0.05/kWh for Q=P{sub fusion}/P{sub input}=4. Fusion reactors could be designed to destroymore » fission wastes by transmutation and fissioning but this is not a natural use of fusion whereas it is a designed use of fission reactors. Fusion could supply makeup fuel to fission reactors that were dedicated to fissioning wastes with some of their neutrons. The design for safety and heat removal and other items is already accomplished with fission reactors. Whereas fusion reactors have geometry that compromises safety with a complex and thin wall separating the fusion zone from the blanket zone where wastes could be destroyed. Nonproliferation can be enhanced by mixing {sup 233}U with {sup 238}U. Also nonproliferation is enhanced in typical fission-suppressed designs by generating up to 0.05 {sup 232}U atoms for each {sup 233}U atom produced from thorium, about twice the IAEA standards of 'reduced protection' or 'self protection.' With 2.4%{sup 232}U, high explosive material is predicted to degrade owing to ionizing radiation after a little over 1/2 year and the heat rate is 77 W just after separation and climbs to over 600 W ten years later. The fissile material can be used to fuel most any fission reactor but is especially appropriate for molten salt reactors (MSR) also called liquid fluoride thorium reactors (LFTR) because of the molten fuel does not need hands on fabrication and handling.« less

Solid polystyrene and deuterated polystyrene light output response to fast neutrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simpson, R.; Danly, C.; Glebov, V. Yu.; Hurlbut, C.; Merrill, F. E.; Volegov, P. L.; Wilde, C.

2016-04-01

The Neutron Imaging System has proven to be an important diagnostic in studying DT implosion characteristics at the National Ignition Facility. The current system depends on a polystyrene scintillating fiber array, which detects fusion neutrons born in the DT hotspot as well as neutrons that have scattered to lower energies in the surrounding cold fuel. Increasing neutron yields at NIF, as well as a desire to resolve three-dimensional information about the fuel assembly, have provided the impetus to build and install two additional next-generation neutron imaging systems. We are currently investigating a novel neutron imaging system that will utilize a deuterated polystyrene (CD) fiber array instead of standard hydrogen-based polystyrene (CH). Studies of deuterated xylene or deuterated benzene liquid scintillator show an improvement in imaging resolution by a factor of two [L. Disdier et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 75, 2134 (2004)], but also a reduction in light output [V. Bildstein et al., Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res., Sect. A 729, 188 (2013); M. I. Ojaruega, Ph.D. thesis, University of Michigan, 2009; M. T. Febbraro, Ph.D. thesis, University of Michigan, 2014] as compared to standard plastic. Tests of the relative light output of deuterated polystyrene and standard polystyrene were completed using 14 MeV fusion neutrons generated through implosions of deuterium-tritium filled capsules at the OMEGA laser facility. In addition, we collected data of the relative response of these two scintillators to a wide energy range of neutrons (1-800 MeV) at the Weapons Neutrons Research Facility. Results of these measurements are presented.

Solid polystyrene and deuterated polystyrene light output response to fast neutrons.

PubMed

Simpson, R; Danly, C; Glebov, V Yu; Hurlbut, C; Merrill, F E; Volegov, P L; Wilde, C

2016-04-01

The Neutron Imaging System has proven to be an important diagnostic in studying DT implosion characteristics at the National Ignition Facility. The current system depends on a polystyrene scintillating fiber array, which detects fusion neutrons born in the DT hotspot as well as neutrons that have scattered to lower energies in the surrounding cold fuel. Increasing neutron yields at NIF, as well as a desire to resolve three-dimensional information about the fuel assembly, have provided the impetus to build and install two additional next-generation neutron imaging systems. We are currently investigating a novel neutron imaging system that will utilize a deuterated polystyrene (CD) fiber array instead of standard hydrogen-based polystyrene (CH). Studies of deuterated xylene or deuterated benzene liquid scintillator show an improvement in imaging resolution by a factor of two [L. Disdier et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 75, 2134 (2004)], but also a reduction in light output [V. Bildstein et al., Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res., Sect. A 729, 188 (2013); M. I. Ojaruega, Ph.D. thesis, University of Michigan, 2009; M. T. Febbraro, Ph.D. thesis, University of Michigan, 2014] as compared to standard plastic. Tests of the relative light output of deuterated polystyrene and standard polystyrene were completed using 14 MeV fusion neutrons generated through implosions of deuterium-tritium filled capsules at the OMEGA laser facility. In addition, we collected data of the relative response of these two scintillators to a wide energy range of neutrons (1-800 MeV) at the Weapons Neutrons Research Facility. Results of these measurements are presented.

Ion acceleration and D-D nuclear fusion in laser-generated plasma from advanced deuterated polyethylene.

PubMed

Torrisi, Lorenzo

2014-10-23

Deuterated polyethylene targets have been irradiated by means of a 1016 W/cm2 laser using 600 J pulse energy, 1315 nm wavelength, 300 ps pulse duration and 70 micron spot diameter. The plasma parameters were measured using on-line diagnostics based on ion collectors, SiC detectors and plastic scintillators, all employed in time-of-flight configuration. In addition, a Thomson parabola spectrometer, an X-ray streak camera, and calibrated neutron dosimeter bubble detectors were employed. Characteristic protons and neutrons at maximum energies of 3.0 MeV and 2.45 MeV, respectively, were detected, confirming that energy spectra of reaction products coming from deuterium-deuterium nuclear fusion occur. In thick advanced targets a fusion rate of the order of 2 × 108 fusions per laser shot was calculated.

Effect of Magnetic Islands on Divertors in Tokamaks and Stellarators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Punjabi, Alkesh; Boozer, Allen

2017-10-01

Divertors are required for handling the plasma particle and heat exhausts on the walls in fusion plasmas. Relatively simple methods, models, and maps from field line Hamiltonian are developed to better understand the interaction of strong plasma shaping and magnetic islands on the size and behavior of the magnetic flux tubes that go from the plasma edge to the wall in non-axisymmetric system. This approach is applicable not only in tokamaks but also in stellarators. Stellarator diverters in which magnetic islands are dominant are called resonant and when shaping is dominant are called non-resonant. Optimized stellarators generally have sharp edges on their surface, but unlike the case for tokamaks these edges do not encircle the entire plasma, so they do not define an edge value for the rotational transform. The approach is used in the DIII-D tokamak. Computation results are consistent with the predictions of the models. Further simulations are being done to understand why the transition from an effective cubic to a linear increase in loss time and area of footprint occurs and whether this increase is discontinuous or not. This work is supported by the US DOE Grants DE-FG02-01ER54624 and DE-FG02-04ER54793 to Hampton University and DE-FG02-95ER54333 to Columbia University. This research used resources of the NERSC, supported by the Office of Science, US DOE, under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231.

On the role of fusion neutron source with thorium blanket in forming the nuclide composition of the nuclear fuel cycle of the Russian Federation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shmelev, A. N.; Kulikov, G. G.

2016-12-01

The possible role of available thorium resources of the Russian Federation in utilization of thorium in the closed (U-Pu)-fuel cycle of nuclear power is considered. The efficiency of application of fusion neutron sources with thorium blanket for economical use of available thorium resources is demonstrated. The objective of this study is the search for a solution of such major tasks of nuclear power as reduction of the amount of front-end operations in the nuclear fuel cycle and enhancement of its protection against uncontrolled proliferation of fissile materials with the smallest possible alterations in the fuel cycle. The earlier results are analyzed, new information on the amount of thorium resources of the Russian Federation is used, and additional estimates are made. The following basic results obtained on the basis of the assumption of involving fusion reactors with Th-blanket in future nuclear power for generation of the light uranium fraction 232+233+234U and 231Pa are formulated. (1) The fuel cycle would shift from fissile 235U to 233U, which is more attractive for thermal power reactors. (2) The light uranium fraction is the most "protected" in the uranium fuel component, and being mixed with regenerated uranium, it would become reduced-enrichment uranium fuel, which would relieve the problem of nonproliferation of the fissile material. (3) The addition of 231Pa into the fuel would stabilize its neutron-multiplying properties, thus making it possible to implement a long fuel residence time and, as a consequence, increase the export potential of the whole nuclear power technology. (4) The available thorium resource in the vicinity of Krasnoufimsk is sufficient for operation of the large-scale nuclear power industry of the Russian Federation with an electric power of 70 GW for more than one quarter of a century. The general conclusion is that involvement of a small number of fusion reactors with Th-blanket in the future nuclear power industry of the Russian

Constructing integrable high-pressure full-current free-boundary stellarator magnetohydrodynamic equilibrium solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hudson, S. R.; Monticello, D. A.; Reiman, A. H.; Strickler, D. J.; Hirshman, S. P.; Ku, L.-P.; Lazarus, E.; Brooks, A.; Zarnstorff, M. C.; Boozer, A. H.; Fu, G.-Y.; Neilson, G. H.

2003-10-01

For the (non-axisymmetric) stellarator class of plasma confinement devices to be feasible candidates for fusion power stations it is essential that, to a good approximation, the magnetic field lines lie on nested flux surfaces; however, the inherent lack of a continuous symmetry implies that magnetic islands responsible for breaking the smooth topology of the flux surfaces are guaranteed to exist. Thus, the suppression of magnetic islands is a critical issue for stellarator design, particularly for small aspect ratio devices. Pfirsch-Schlüter currents, diamagnetic currents and resonant coil fields contribute to the formation of magnetic islands, and the challenge is to design the plasma and coils such that these effects cancel. Magnetic islands in free-boundary high-pressure full-current stellarator magnetohydrodynamic equilibria are suppressed using a procedure based on the Princeton Iterative Equilibrium Solver (Reiman and Greenside 1986 Comput. Phys. Commun. 43 157) which iterates the equilibrium equations to obtain the plasma equilibrium. At each iteration, changes to a Fourier representation of the coil geometry are made to cancel resonant fields produced by the plasma. The changes are constrained to preserve certain measures of engineering acceptability and to preserve the stability of ideal kink modes. As the iterations continue, the coil geometry and the plasma simultaneously converge to an equilibrium in which the island content is negligible, the plasma is stable to ideal kink modes, and the coils satisfy engineering constraints. The method is applied to a candidate plasma and coil design for the National Compact Stellarator eXperiment (Reiman et al 2001 Phys. Plasma 8 2083).

Neutronics Comparison Analysis of the Water Cooled Ceramics Breeding Blanket for CFETR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jia; Zhang, Xiaokang; Gao, Fangfang; Pu, Yong

2016-02-01

China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR) is an ITER-like fusion engineering test reactor that is intended to fill the scientific and technical gaps between ITER and DEMO. One of the main missions of CFETR is to achieve a tritium breeding ratio that is no less than 1.2 to ensure tritium self-sufficiency. A concept design for a water cooled ceramics breeding blanket (WCCB) is presented based on a scheme with the breeder and the multiplier located in separate panels for CFETR. Based on this concept, a one-dimensional (1D) radial built breeding blanket was first designed, and then several three-dimensional models were developed with various neutron source definitions and breeding blanket module arrangements based on the 1D radial build. A set of nuclear analyses have been carried out to compare the differences in neutronics characteristics given by different calculation models, addressing neutron wall loading (NWL), tritium breeding ratio (TBR), fast neutron flux on inboard side and nuclear heating deposition on main in-vessel components. The impact of differences in modeling on the nuclear performance has been analyzed and summarized regarding the WCCB concept design. supported by the National Special Project for Magnetic Confined Nuclear Fusion Energy (Nos. 2013GB108004, 2014GB122000, and 2014GB119000), and National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 11175207)

Proton Spectra from He 3 + T and He 3 + He 3 Fusion at Low Center-of-Mass Energy, with Potential Implications for Solar Fusion Cross Sections

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zylstra, A. B.; Frenje, J. A.; Gatu Johnson, M.

Few-body nuclear physics often relies upon phenomenological models, with new efforts at the ab initio theory reported recently; both need high-quality benchmark data, particularly at low center-of-mass energies. We use high-energy-density plasmas to measure the proton spectra from 3He + T and 3He + 3He fusion. The data disagree with R -matrix predictions constrained by neutron spectra from T + T fusion. Here, we present a new analysis of the 3He + 3He proton spectrum; these benchmarked spectral shapes should be used for interpreting low-resolution data, such as solar fusion cross-section measurements.

Proton Spectra from 3He + T and 3He + 3He Fusion at Low Center-of-Mass Energy, with Potential Implications for Solar Fusion Cross Sections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zylstra, A. B.; Frenje, J. A.; Gatu Johnson, M.; Hale, G. M.; Brune, C. R.; Bacher, A.; Casey, D. T.; Li, C. K.; McNabb, D.; Paris, M.; Petrasso, R. D.; Sangster, T. C.; Sayre, D. B.; Séguin, F. H.

2017-12-01

Few-body nuclear physics often relies upon phenomenological models, with new efforts at the ab initio theory reported recently; both need high-quality benchmark data, particularly at low center-of-mass energies. We use high-energy-density plasmas to measure the proton spectra from 3He +T and 3He + 3He fusion. The data disagree with R -matrix predictions constrained by neutron spectra from T +T fusion. We present a new analysis of the 3He + 3He 3 proton spectrum; these benchmarked spectral shapes should be used for interpreting low-resolution data, such as solar fusion cross-section measurements.

Proton Spectra from He 3 + T and He 3 + He 3 Fusion at Low Center-of-Mass Energy, with Potential Implications for Solar Fusion Cross Sections

DOE PAGES

Zylstra, A. B.; Frenje, J. A.; Gatu Johnson, M.; ...

2017-11-29

Few-body nuclear physics often relies upon phenomenological models, with new efforts at the ab initio theory reported recently; both need high-quality benchmark data, particularly at low center-of-mass energies. We use high-energy-density plasmas to measure the proton spectra from 3He + T and 3He + 3He fusion. The data disagree with R -matrix predictions constrained by neutron spectra from T + T fusion. Here, we present a new analysis of the 3He + 3He proton spectrum; these benchmarked spectral shapes should be used for interpreting low-resolution data, such as solar fusion cross-section measurements.

Development of Measurement Methods for Detection of Special Nuclear Materials using D-D Pulsed Neutron Source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Misawa, Tsuyoshi; Takahashi, Yoshiyuki; Yagi, Takahiro; Pyeon, Cheol Ho; Kimura, Masaharu; Masuda, Kai; Ohgaki, Hideaki

2015-10-01

For detection of hidden special nuclear materials (SNMs), we have developed an active neutron-based interrogation system combined with a D-D fusion pulsed neutron source and a neutron detection system. In the detection scheme, we have adopted new measurement techniques simultaneously; neutron noise analysis and neutron energy spectrum analysis. The validity of neutron noise analysis method has been experimentally studied in the Kyoto University Critical Assembly (KUCA), and was applied to a cargo container inspection system by simulation.

Void migration in fusion materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cottrell, G. A.

2002-04-01

Neutron irradiation in a fusion power plant will cause helium bubbles and voids to form in the armour and blanket structural materials. If sufficiently large densities of such defects accumulate on the grain boundaries of the materials, the strength and the lifetimes of the metals will be reduced by helium embrittlement and grain boundary failure. This Letter discusses void migration in metals, both by random Brownian motion and by biassed flow in temperature gradients. In the assumed five-year blanket replacement time of a fusion power plant, approximate calculations show that the metals most resilient to failure are tungsten and molybdenum, and marginally vanadium. Helium embrittlement and grain boundary failure is expected to be more severe in steel and beryllium.

Acoustically Driven Magnetized Target Fusion At General Fusion: An Overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Shea, Peter; Laberge, M.; Donaldson, M.; Delage, M.; the Fusion Team, General

2016-10-01

Magnetized Target Fusion (MTF) involves compressing an initial magnetically confined plasma of about 1e23 m-3, 100eV, 7 Tesla, 20 cm radius, >100 μsec life with a 1000x volume compression in 100 microseconds. If near adiabatic compression is achieved, the final plasma of 1e26 m-3, 10keV, 700 Tesla, 2 cm radius, confined for 10 μsec would produce interesting fusion energy gain. General Fusion (GF) is developing an acoustic compression system using pneumatic pistons focusing a shock wave on the CT plasma in the center of a 3 m diameter sphere filled with liquid lead-lithium. Low cost driver, straightforward heat extraction, good tritium breeding ratio and excellent neutron protection could lead to a practical power plant. GF (65 employees) has an active plasma R&D program including both full scale and reduced scale plasma experiments and simulation of both. Although acoustic driven compression of full scale plasmas is the end goal, present compression studies use reduced scale plasmas and chemically accelerated Aluminum liners. We will review results from our plasma target development, motivate and review the results of dynamic compression field tests and briefly describe the work to date on the acoustic driver front.

Nuclear fusion and carbon flashes on neutron stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taam, R. E.; Picklum, R. E.

1978-01-01

This paper reports on detailed calculations of the thermal evolution of the carbon-burning shells in the envelopes of accreting neutron stars for mass-accretion rates of 1 hundred-billionth to 2 billionths of a solar mass per yr and neutron-star masses of 0.56 and 1.41 solar masses. The work of Hansen and Van Horn (1975) is extended to higher densities, and a more detailed treatment of nuclear processing in the hydrogen- and helium-burning regions is included. Results of steady-state calculations are presented, and results of time-dependent computations are examined for accretion rates of 3 ten-billionths and 1 billionth of solar mass per yr. It is found that two evolutionary sequences lead to carbon flashes and that the carbon abundance at the base of the helium shell is a strong function of accretion rate. Upper limits are placed on the accretion rates at which carbon flashes will be important.

sunstardb: A Database for the Study of Stellar Magnetism and the Solar-stellar Connection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Egeland, Ricky

2018-05-01

The “solar-stellar connection” began as a relatively small field of research focused on understanding the processes that generate magnetic fields in stars and sometimes lead to a cyclic pattern of long-term variability in activity, as demonstrated by our Sun. This area of study has recently become more broadly pertinent to questions of exoplanet habitability and exo-space weather, as well as stellar evolution. In contrast to other areas of stellar research, individual stars in the solar-stellar connection often have a distinct identity and character in the literature, due primarily to the rarity of the decades-long time-series that are necessary for studying stellar activity cycles. Furthermore, the underlying stellar dynamo is not well understood theoretically, and is thought to be sensitive to several stellar properties, e.g., luminosity, differential rotation, and the depth of the convection zone, which in turn are often parameterized by other more readily available properties. Relevant observations are scattered throughout the literature and existing stellar databases, and consolidating information for new studies is a tedious and laborious exercise. To accelerate research in this area I developed sunstardb, a relational database of stellar properties and magnetic activity proxy time-series keyed by individual named stars. The organization of the data eliminates the need for the problematic catalog cross-matching operations inherent when building an analysis data set from heterogeneous sources. In this article I describe the principles behind sunstardb, the data structures and programming interfaces, as well as use cases from solar-stellar connection research.

Neutron emission spectroscopy of DT plasmas at enhanced energy resolution with diamond detectors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Giacomelli, L., E-mail: giacomelli@ifp.cnr.it; Tardocchi, M.; Nocente, M.

2016-11-15

This work presents measurements done at the Peking University Van de Graaff neutron source of the response of single crystal synthetic diamond (SD) detectors to quasi-monoenergetic neutrons of 14-20 MeV. The results show an energy resolution of 1% for incoming 20 MeV neutrons, which, together with 1% detection efficiency, opens up to new prospects for fast ion physics studies in high performance nuclear fusion devices such as SD neutron spectrometry of deuterium-tritium plasmas heated by neutral beam injection.

Commercial objectives, technology transfer, and systems analysis for fusion power development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dean, Stephen O.

1988-09-01

Fusion is an inexhaustible source of energy that has the potential for economic commercial applications with excellent safety and environmental characteristics. The primary focus for the fusion energy development program is the generation of central station electricity. Fusion has the potential, however, for many other applications. The fact that a large fraction of the energy released in a DT fusion reaction is carried by high energy neutrons suggests potentially unique applications. In addition, fusion R and D will lead to new products and new markets. Each fusion application must meet certain standards of economic and safety and environmental attractiveness. For this reason, economics on the one hand, and safety and environment and licensing on the other, are the two primary criteria for setting long range commercial fusion objectives. A major function of systems analysis is to evaluate the potential of fusion against these objectives and to help guide the fusion R and D program toward practical applications. The transfer of fusion technology and skills from the national labs and universities to industry is the key to achieving the long range objective of commercial fusion applications.

Commercial objectives, technology transfer, and systems analysis for fusion power development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dean, Stephen O.

1988-01-01

Fusion is an inexhaustible source of energy that has the potential for economic commercial applications with excellent safety and environmental characteristics. The primary focus for the fusion energy development program is the generation of central station electricity. Fusion has the potential, however, for many other applications. The fact that a large fraction of the energy released in a DT fusion reaction is carried by high energy neutrons suggests potentially unique applications. In addition, fusion R and D will lead to new products and new markets. Each fusion application must meet certain standards of economic and safety and environmental attractiveness. For this reason, economics on the one hand, and safety and environment and licensing on the other, are the two primary criteria for setting long range commercial fusion objectives. A major function of systems analysis is to evaluate the potential of fusion against these objectives and to help guide the fusion R and D program toward practical applications. The transfer of fusion technology and skills from the national labs and universities to industry is the key to achieving the long range objective of commercial fusion applications.

D-D neutron generator development at LBNL.

PubMed

Reijonen, J; Gicquel, F; Hahto, S K; King, M; Lou, T-P; Leung, K-N

2005-01-01

The plasma and ion source technology group in Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory is developing advanced, next generation D-D neutron generators. There are three distinctive developments, which are discussed in this presentation, namely, multi-stage, accelerator-based axial neutron generator, high-output co-axial neutron generator and point source neutron generator. These generators employ RF-induction discharge to produce deuterium ions. The distinctive feature of RF-discharge is its capability to generate high atomic hydrogen species, high current densities and stable and long-life operation. The axial neutron generator is designed for applications that require fast pulsing together with medium to high D-D neutron output. The co-axial neutron generator is aimed for high neutron output with cw or pulsed operation, using either the D-D or D-T fusion reaction. The point source neutron generator is a new concept, utilizing a toroidal-shaped plasma generator. The beam is extracted from multiple apertures and focus to the target tube, which is located at the middle of the generator. This will generate a point source of D-D, T-T or D-T neutrons with high output flux. The latest development together with measured data will be discussed in this article.

Current-carrying element based on second-generation high-temperature superconductor for the magnet system of a fusion neutron source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Novikov, M. S.; Ivanov, D. P.; Novikov, S. I.; Shuvaev, S. A.

2015-12-01

Application of current-carrying elements (CCEs) made of second-generation high-temperature superconductor (2G HTS) in magnet systems of a fusion neutron source (FNS) and other fusion devices will allow their magnetic field and thermodynamic stability to be increased substantially in comparison with those of low-temperature superconductor (LTS) magnets. For a toroidal magnet of the FNS, a design of a helical (partially transposed) CCE made of 2G HTS is under development with forced-flow cooling by helium gas, a current of 20-30 kA, an operating temperature of 10-20 K, and a magnetic field on the winding of 12-15 T (prospectively ~20 T). Short-sized samples of the helical flexible heavy-current CCE are being fabricated and investigated; a pilot-line unit for production of long-sized CCE pieces is under construction. The applied fabrication technique allows the CCE to be produced which combines a high operating current, thermal and mechanical stability, manufacturability, and low losses in the alternating modes. The possibility of fabricating the CCE with the outer dimensions and values of the operating parameter required for the FNS (and with a significant margin) using already available serial 2G HTS tapes is substantiated. The maximum field of toroidal magnets with CCEs made of 2G HTS will be limited only by mechanical properties of the magnet's casing and structure, while the thermal stability will be approximately two orders of magnitude higher than that of toroidal magnets with LTS-based CCEs. The helical CCE made of 2G HTS is very promising for fusion and hybrid electric power plants, and its design and technologies of production, as well as the prototype coils made of it for the FNS and other tokamaks, are worth developing now.

Constraints on the symmetry energy from neutron star observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newton, W. G.; Gearheart, M.; Wen, De-Hua; Li, Bao-An

2013-03-01

The modeling of many neutron star observables incorporates the microphysics of both the stellar crust and core, which is tied intimately to the properties of the nuclear matter equation of state (EoS). We explore the predictions of such models over the range of experimentally constrained nuclear matter parameters, focusing on the slope of the symmetry energy at nuclear saturation density L. We use a consistent model of the composition and EoS of neutron star crust and core matter to model the binding energy of pulsar B of the double pulsar system J0737-3039, the frequencies of torsional oscillations of the neutron star crust and the instability region for r-modes in the neutron star core damped by electron-electron viscosity at the crust-core interface. By confronting these models with observations, we illustrate the potential of astrophysical observables to offer constraints on poorly known nuclear matter parameters complementary to terrestrial experiments, and demonstrate that our models consistently predict L < 70 MeV.

An Unusual Stellar Death on Christmas Day

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thone, C. C.; de Ugarte Postigo, A.; Fryer, C. L.; Page, K. L.; Gorosabel, J.; Aloy, M. A.; Perley, D. A.; Kouveliotou, C.; Janka, H. T.; Mimica, P.;

Synchronized fusion development considering physics, materials and heat transfer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wong, C. P. C.; Liu, Y.; Duan, X. R.; Xu, M.; Li, Q.; Feng, K. M.; Zheng, G. Y.; Li, Z. X.; Wang, X. Y.; Li, B.; Zhang, G. S.

2017-12-01

Significant achievements have been made in the last 60 years in the development of fusion energy with the tokamak configuration. Based on the accumulated knowledge, the world is embarking on the construction and operation of ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) with a production of 500 MWf fusion power and the demonstration of physics Q  =  10. ITER will demonstrate D-T burn physics for a duration of a few hundred seconds to prepare for the next long-burn or steady state nuclear testing tokamak operating at much higher neutron fluence. With the evolution into a steady state nuclear device, such as the China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR), it is necessary to examine the boundary conditions imposed by the combined development of tokamak physics, fusion materials and fusion technology for a reactor. The development of ferritic steel alloys as the structural material suitable for use at high neutron fluence leads to the use of helium as the most likely reactor coolant. This points to the fundamental technology limitation on the removal of chamber wall maximum heat flux at around 1 MW m-2 and an average heat flux of 0.1 MW m-2 for the next test reactor. Future reactor performance will then depend on the control of spatial and temporal edge heat flux peaking in order to increase the average heat flux to the chamber wall. With these severe material and technological limitations, system studies were used to scope out a few robust steady state synchronized fusion reactor (SFR) designs. As an example, a low fusion power design at 131.6 MWf, which can satisfy steady state design requirements, would have a major radius of 5.5 m and minor radius of 1.6 m. Such a design with even more advanced structural materials like W f/W composite could allow higher performance and provide a net electrical production of 62 MWe. These can be incorporated into the CFETR program.

Solid polystyrene and deuterated polystyrene light output response to fast neutrons

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Simpson, R., E-mail: raspberry@lanl.gov; Danly, C.; Merrill, F. E.

The Neutron Imaging System has proven to be an important diagnostic in studying DT implosion characteristics at the National Ignition Facility. The current system depends on a polystyrene scintillating fiber array, which detects fusion neutrons born in the DT hotspot as well as neutrons that have scattered to lower energies in the surrounding cold fuel. Increasing neutron yields at NIF, as well as a desire to resolve three-dimensional information about the fuel assembly, have provided the impetus to build and install two additional next-generation neutron imaging systems. We are currently investigating a novel neutron imaging system that will utilize amore » deuterated polystyrene (CD) fiber array instead of standard hydrogen-based polystyrene (CH). Studies of deuterated xylene or deuterated benzene liquid scintillator show an improvement in imaging resolution by a factor of two [L. Disdier et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 75, 2134 (2004)], but also a reduction in light output [V. Bildstein et al., Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res., Sect. A 729, 188 (2013); M. I. Ojaruega, Ph.D. thesis, University of Michigan, 2009; M. T. Febbraro, Ph.D. thesis, University of Michigan, 2014] as compared to standard plastic. Tests of the relative light output of deuterated polystyrene and standard polystyrene were completed using 14 MeV fusion neutrons generated through implosions of deuterium-tritium filled capsules at the OMEGA laser facility. In addition, we collected data of the relative response of these two scintillators to a wide energy range of neutrons (1-800 MeV) at the Weapons Neutrons Research Facility. Results of these measurements are presented.« less

MW Spallation Neutron Sources for Fusion Materials Testing

ScienceCinema

Dr. Donald Rej

2018-04-18

Dr. Donald Rej of Los Alamos National Laboratory presents an overview of issues, needs, and performance gaps related to materials testing and how they are being addressed at their facility. Current projects such as the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) and Matter-Radiation Interactions in Extremes (MaRIE) are also discussed.

Order-of-magnitude physics of neutron stars. Estimating their properties from first principles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reisenegger, Andreas; Zepeda, Felipe S.

2016-03-01

We use basic physics and simple mathematics accessible to advanced undergraduate students to estimate the main properties of neutron stars. We set the stage and introduce relevant concepts by discussing the properties of "everyday" matter on Earth, degenerate Fermi gases, white dwarfs, and scaling relations of stellar properties with polytropic equations of state. Then, we discuss various physical ingredients relevant for neutron stars and how they can be combined in order to obtain a couple of different simple estimates of their maximum mass, beyond which they would collapse, turning into black holes. Finally, we use the basic structural parameters of neutron stars to briefly discuss their rotational and electromagnetic properties.

Stellar Imager

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carpenter, Kenneth

2007-01-01

The Stellar Imager (SI) is one of NASA's "Vision Missions" - concepts for future, space-based, strategic missions that could enormously increase our capabilities for observing the Cosmos. SI is designed as a UV/Optical Interferometer which will enable 0.1 milli-arcsecond (mas) spectral imaging of stellar surfaces and, via asteroseismology, stellar interiors and of the Universe in general. The ultra-sharp images of the Stellar Imager will revolutionize our view of many dynamic astrophysical processes by transforming point sources into extended sources, and snapshots into evolving views. SI, with a characteristic angular resolution of 0.1 milli-arcseconds at 2000 Angstroms, represents an advance in image detail of several hundred times over that provided by the Hubble Space Telescope. The Stellar Imager will zoom in on what today-with few exceptions - we only know as point sources, revealing processes never before seen, thus providing a tool as fundamental to astrophysics as the microscope is to the study of life on Earth. SI's science focuses on the role of magnetism in the Universe, particularly on magnetic activity on the surfaces of stars like the Sun. It's prime goal is to enable long-term forecasting of solar activity and the space weather that it drives, in support of the Living With a Star program in the Exploration Era. SI will also revolutionize our understanding of the formation of planetary systems, of the habitability and climatology of distant planets, and of many magneto-hydrodynamically controlled processes in the Universe. Stellar Imager is included as a "Flagship and Landmark Discovery Mission" in the 2005 Sun Solar System Connection (SSSC) Roadmap and as a candidate for a "Pathways to Life Observatory" in the Exploration of the Universe Division (EUD) Roadmap (May, 2005) and as such is a candidate mission for the 2025-2030 timeframe. An artist's drawing of the current "baseline" concept for SI is presented.

Fusion neutron detector for time-of-flight measurements in z-pinch and plasma focus experiments.

PubMed

Klir, D; Kravarik, J; Kubes, P; Rezac, K; Litseva, E; Tomaszewski, K; Karpinski, L; Paduch, M; Scholz, M

2011-03-01

We have developed and tested sensitive neutron detectors for neutron time-of-flight measurements in z-pinch and plasma focus experiments with neutron emission times in tens of nanoseconds and with neutron yields between 10(6) and 10(12) per one shot. The neutron detectors are composed of a BC-408 fast plastic scintillator and Hamamatsu H1949-51 photomultiplier tube (PMT). During the calibration procedure, a PMT delay was determined for various operating voltages. The temporal resolution of the neutron detector was measured for the most commonly used PMT voltage of 1.4 kV. At the PF-1000 plasma focus, a novel method of the acquisition of a pulse height distribution has been used. This pulse height analysis enabled to determine the single neutron sensitivity for various neutron energies and to calibrate the neutron detector for absolute neutron yields at about 2.45 MeV.

The behavior of neutron emissions during ICRF minority heating of plasma at EAST

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhong, Guoqiang; Cao, Hongrui; Hu, Liqun; Zhou, Ruijie; Xiao, Min; Li, Kai; Pu, Neng; Huang, Juan; Liu, Guangzhu; Lin, Shiyao; Lyu, Bo; Liu, Haiqing; Zhang, Xinjun; EAST Team

2016-07-01

Ion cyclotron radio frequency (ICRF) wave heating is a primary method to heat ions in the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST). Through neutron diagnostics, effective ion heating was observed in hydrogenminority heating (MH) scenarios. At present, investigation of deuterium-deuterium (DD) fusion neutrons is mostly based on time-resolved flux monitor and spectrometer measurements. When the ICRF was applied, the neutron intensity became one order higher. The H/H  +  D ratio was in the range of 5-10%, corresponding to the hydrogen MH dominated scenario, and a strong high energy tail was not displayed on the neutron spectrum that was measured by a liquid scintillator. Moreover, ion temperature in the plasma center (T i) was inversely calculated by the use of neutron source strength (S n) and the plasma density based on classical fusion reaction equations. This result indicates that T i increases by approximately 30% in L-mode plasma, and by more than 50% in H-mode plasma during ICRF heating, which shows good agreement with x-ray crystal spectrometer (XCS) diagnostics. Finally, the DD neutron source strength scaling law, with regard to plasma current (I P) and ICRF coupling power (P RF) on the typical minority heating condition, was obtained by statistical analysis.

Design Considerations for Clean QED Fusion Propulsion Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bussard, Robert W.; Jameson, Lorin W.

1994-07-01

The direct production of electric power appears possible from fusion reactions between fuels whose products consist solely of charged particles and thus do not present radiation hazards from energetic neutron production, as do reactions involving deuteron-bearing fuels. Among these are the fuels p, 11B, 3He, and 6Li. All of these can be ``burned'' in inertial-electrostatic-fusion (IEF) devices to power QED fusion-electric rocket engines. These IEF sources provide direct-converted electrical power at high voltage (MeV) to drive e-beams for efficient propellant heating to extreme temperatures, with resulting high specific impulse performance capabilities. IEF/QED engine systems using p11B can outperform all other advanced concepts for controlled fusion propulsion by 2-3 orders of magnitude, while 6Li6Li fusion yields one order of magnitude less advance. Either of these fusion rocket propulsion systems can provide very rapid transit for solar system missions, with high payload fractions in single-stage vehicles. The 3He3He reaction can not be used practically for direct electric conversion because of the wide spread in energy of its fusion products. However, it may eventually prove useful for thermal/electrical power generation in central station power plants, or for direct-fusion-product (DFP) propellant heatingin advanced deep-space rocket engines.

Determination of Neutron Spectra in a Graphite Sphere for Fusion Reactor Studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bashter, I. B.; Cooper, P. N.

Calculated and experimental results for the neutron spectra at different radii in a graphite sphere irradiated with 14.1 MeV neutrons were shown to be in satisfactory agreement over the energy range 14.1 to 1.8 MeV neutrons. A group of curves were constructed which gives the radius of a graphite sphere shield required to attenuate the neutron intensity to a certain value. The data set used in the present work, with carbon-12 cross section, is shown to be useful for spherical calculations.Translated AbstractDie Bestimmung der Neutronenspektren in einer GraphitkugelDie Übereinstimmung experimentell bestimmter und berechneter Neutronenspektren in Abhängigkeit vom Ort in einer Graphitkugel wird in einem Energiebereich von 14,1 bis 1,8 MeV (bei einer Ausgangsenergie von 14,1 MeV je Neutron) gezeigt. Eine Gruppe von Kurven wird konstruiert, die den für eine bestimmte Dämpfung der Neutronenintensität notwendigen Radius einer Graphitkugel angeben. Es wird nachgewiesen, daß die in der Arbeit benutzte Datenbank für den 12C-Wirkungsquerschnitt in sphärischen Geometrien anwendbar ist.

Constructing Integrable High-pressure Full-current Free-boundary Stellarator Magnetohydrodynamic Equilibrium Solutions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

S.R. Hudson; D.A. Monticello; A.H. Reiman

For the (non-axisymmetric) stellarator class of plasma confinement devices to be feasible candidates for fusion power stations it is essential that, to a good approximation, the magnetic field lines lie on nested flux surfaces; however, the inherent lack of a continuous symmetry implies that magnetic islands responsible for breaking the smooth topology of the flux surfaces are guaranteed to exist. Thus, the suppression of magnetic islands is a critical issue for stellarator design, particularly for small aspect ratio devices. Pfirsch-Schluter currents, diamagnetic currents, and resonant coil fields contribute to the formation of magnetic islands, and the challenge is to designmore » the plasma and coils such that these effects cancel. Magnetic islands in free-boundary high-pressure full-current stellarator magnetohydrodynamic equilibria are suppressed using a procedure based on the Princeton Iterative Equilibrium Solver [Reiman and Greenside, Comp. Phys. Comm. 43 (1986) 157] which iterate s the equilibrium equations to obtain the plasma equilibrium. At each iteration, changes to a Fourier representation of the coil geometry are made to cancel resonant fields produced by the plasma. The changes are constrained to preserve certain measures of engineering acceptability and to preserve the stability of ideal kink modes. As the iterations continue, the coil geometry and the plasma simultaneously converge to an equilibrium in which the island content is negligible, the plasma is stable to ideal kink modes, and the coils satisfy engineering constraints. The method is applied to a candidate plasma and coil design for the National Compact Stellarator Experiment [Reiman, et al., Phys. Plasmas 8 (May 2001) 2083].« less

Baseline high heat flux and plasma facing materials for fusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ueda, Y.; Schmid, K.; Balden, M.; Coenen, J. W.; Loewenhoff, Th.; Ito, A.; Hasegawa, A.; Hardie, C.; Porton, M.; Gilbert, M.

2017-09-01

In fusion reactors, surfaces of plasma facing components (PFCs) are exposed to high heat and particle flux. Tungsten and Copper alloys are primary candidates for plasma facing materials (PFMs) and coolant tube materials, respectively, mainly due to high thermal conductivity and, in the case of tungsten, its high melting point. In this paper, recent understandings and future issues on responses of tungsten and Cu alloys to fusion environments (high particle flux (including T and He), high heat flux, and high neutron doses) are reviewed. This review paper includes; Tritium retention in tungsten (K. Schmid and M. Balden), Impact of stationary and transient heat loads on tungsten (J.W. Coenen and Th. Loewenhoff), Helium effects on surface morphology of tungsten (Y. Ueda and A. Ito), Neutron radiation effects in tungsten (A. Hasegawa), and Copper and copper alloys development for high heat flux components (C. Hardie, M. Porton, and M. Gilbert).

Self characterization of a coded aperture array for neutron source imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Volegov, P. L.; Danly, C. R.; Fittinghoff, D. N.; Guler, N.; Merrill, F. E.; Wilde, C. H.

2014-12-01

The neutron imaging system at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) is an important diagnostic tool for measuring the two-dimensional size and shape of the neutrons produced in the burning deuterium-tritium plasma during the stagnation stage of inertial confinement fusion implosions. Since the neutron source is small (˜100 μm) and neutrons are deeply penetrating (>3 cm) in all materials, the apertures used to achieve the desired 10-μm resolution are 20-cm long, triangular tapers machined in gold foils. These gold foils are stacked to form an array of 20 apertures for pinhole imaging and three apertures for penumbral imaging. These apertures must be precisely aligned to accurately place the field of view of each aperture at the design location, or the location of the field of view for each aperture must be measured. In this paper we present a new technique that has been developed for the measurement and characterization of the precise location of each aperture in the array. We present the detailed algorithms used for this characterization and the results of reconstructed sources from inertial confinement fusion implosion experiments at NIF.

Analysis of Muon Induced Neutrons in Detecting High Z Nuclear Materials

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-03-01

mass distributions, delayed fission probabilities, and prompt to delayed fission ratios [16]. 10 2.3 Muon Catalyzed Fusion Fusion occurs when two light ...proton number; A is the atomic mass; ⇢ is the material density; = v/c where v is the velocity of the particle and c is the speed of light ; is the...8217) %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% 81 % Combine all neutron events time stamps into one vector %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% timeindex of

Collapse of differentially rotating neutron stars and cosmic censorship

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giacomazzo, Bruno; Rezzolla, Luciano; Stergioulas, Nikolaos

2011-07-01

We present new results on the dynamics and gravitational-wave emission from the collapse of differentially rotating neutron stars. We have considered a number of polytropic stellar models having different values of the dimensionless angular momentum J/M2, where J and M are the asymptotic angular momentum and mass of the star, respectively. For neutron stars with J/M2<1, i.e. “sub-Kerr” models, we were able to find models that are dynamically unstable and that collapse promptly to a rotating black hole. Both the dynamics of the collapse and the consequent emission of gravitational waves resemble those seen for uniformly rotating stars, although with an overall decrease in the efficiency of gravitational-wave emission. For stellar models with J/M2>1, i.e. “supra-Kerr” models, on the other hand, we were not able to find models that are dynamically unstable and all of the computed supra-Kerr models were found to be far from the stability threshold. For these models a gravitational collapse is possible only after a very severe and artificial reduction of the pressure, which then leads to a torus developing nonaxisymmetric instabilities and eventually contracting to a stable axisymmetric stellar configuration. While this does not exclude the possibility that a naked singularity can be produced by the collapse of a differentially rotating star, it also suggests that cosmic censorship is not violated and that generic conditions for a supra-Kerr progenitor do not lead to a naked singularity.

DOSE PROFILE MODELING OF IDAHO NATIONAL LABORATORY’S ACTIVE NEUTRON INTERROGATION TEST FACILITY

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

D. L. Chichester; E. H. Seabury; J. M. Zabriskie

2009-06-01

A new research and development laboratory has been commissioned at Idaho National Laboratory for performing active neutron interrogation research and development. The facility is designed to provide radiation shielding for DT fusion (14.1 MeV) neutron generators (2 x 108 neutrons per second), DD fusion (2.5 MeV) neutron generators (up to 2 x 106 neutrons per second), and 252Cf spontaneous fission neutron sources (6.7 x 107 neutrons per second, 30 micrograms). Shielding at the laboratory is comprised of modular concrete shield blocks 0.76 m thick with tongue-in-groove features to prevent radiation streaming, arranged into one small and one large test vault.more » The larger vault is designed to allow operation of the DT generator and has walls 3.8 m tall, an entrance maze, and a fully integrated electrical interlock system; the smaller test vault is designed for 252Cf and DD neutron sources and has walls 1.9 m tall and a simple entrance maze. Both analytical calculations and numerical simulations were used in the design process for the building to assess the performance of the shielding walls and to ensure external dose rates are within required facility limits. Dose rate contour plots have been generated for the facility to visualize the effectiveness of the shield wall and entrance maze and to illustrate the spatial profile of the radiation dose field above the facility and the effects of skyshine around the vaults.« less

Quantifying Fusion Born Ion Populations in Magnetically Confined Plasmas using Ion Cyclotron Emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carbajal, L.; Dendy, R. O.; Chapman, S. C.; Cook, J. W. S.

2017-03-01

Ion cyclotron emission (ICE) offers a unique promise as a diagnostic of the fusion born alpha-particle population in magnetically confined plasmas. Pioneering observations from JET and TFTR found that ICE intensity PICE scales approximately linearly with the measured neutron flux from fusion reactions, and with the inferred concentration, nα/ni, of fusion born alpha particles confined within the plasma. We present fully nonlinear self-consistent kinetic simulations that reproduce this scaling for the first time. This resolves a long-standing question in the physics of fusion alpha-particle confinement and stability in magnetic confinement fusion plasmas. It confirms the magnetoacoustic cyclotron instability as the likely emission mechanism and greatly strengthens the basis for diagnostic exploitation of ICE in future burning plasmas.

Quantifying Fusion Born Ion Populations in Magnetically Confined Plasmas using Ion Cyclotron Emission.

PubMed

Carbajal, L; Dendy, R O; Chapman, S C; Cook, J W S

2017-03-10

Ion cyclotron emission (ICE) offers a unique promise as a diagnostic of the fusion born alpha-particle population in magnetically confined plasmas. Pioneering observations from JET and TFTR found that ICE intensity P_{ICE} scales approximately linearly with the measured neutron flux from fusion reactions, and with the inferred concentration, n_{α}/n_{i}, of fusion born alpha particles confined within the plasma. We present fully nonlinear self-consistent kinetic simulations that reproduce this scaling for the first time. This resolves a long-standing question in the physics of fusion alpha-particle confinement and stability in magnetic confinement fusion plasmas. It confirms the magnetoacoustic cyclotron instability as the likely emission mechanism and greatly strengthens the basis for diagnostic exploitation of ICE in future burning plasmas.

Tidal Love Numbers of Neutron Stars

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hinderer, Tanja

For a variety of fully relativistic polytropic neutron star models we calculate the star's tidal Love number k{sub 2}. Most realistic equations of state for neutron stars can be approximated as a polytrope with an effective index n {approx} 0.5-1.0. The equilibrium stellar model is obtained by numerical integration of the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkhov equations. We calculate the linear l = 2 static perturbations to the Schwarzschild spacetime following the method of Thorne and Campolattaro. Combining the perturbed Einstein equations into a single second-order differential equation for the perturbation to the metric coefficient g{sub tt} and matching the exterior solution to themore » asymptotic expansion of the metric in the star's local asymptotic rest frame gives the Love number. Our results agree well with the Newtonian results in the weak field limit. The fully relativistic values differ from the Newtonian values by up to {approx}24%. The Love number is potentially measurable in gravitational wave signals from inspiralling binary neutron stars.« less

Sub-barrier fusion cross section measurements with STELLA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heine, M.; Courtin, S.; Fruet, G.; Jenkins, D. G.; Montanari, D.; Adsley, P.; Beck, C.; Della Negra, S.; Dené, P.; Haas, F.; Hammache, F.; Heitz, G.; Kirsebom, O. S.; Krauth, M.; Lesrel, J.; Meyer, A.; Morris, L.; Regan, P. H.; Richer, M.; Rudigier, M.; de Séréville, N.; Stodel, C.

2018-01-01

The experimental setup STELLA (STELlar LAboratory) is designed for the measurement of deep sub-barrier light heavy ion fusion cross sections. For background suppression the γ-particle coincidence technique is used. In this project, LaBr3 detectors from the UK FATIMA (FAst TIMing Array) collaboration are combined with annular silicon strip detectors customized at IPHC-CNRS, Strasbourg, and the setup is located at Andromède, IPN, Orsay. The commissioning of the experimental approach as well as a sub-barrier 12C +12C → 24Mg∗ cross section measurement campaign are carried out.

Error analysis for fast scintillator-based inertial confinement fusion burn history measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lerche, R. A.; Ognibene, T. J.

1999-01-01

Plastic scintillator material acts as a neutron-to-light converter in instruments that make inertial confinement fusion burn history measurements. Light output for a detected neutron in current instruments has a fast rise time (<20 ps) and a relatively long decay constant (1.2 ns). For a burst of neutrons whose duration is much shorter than the decay constant, instantaneous light output is approximately proportional to the integral of the neutron interaction rate with the scintillator material. Burn history is obtained by deconvolving the exponential decay from the recorded signal. The error in estimating signal amplitude for these integral measurements is calculated and compared with a direct measurement in which light output is linearly proportional to the interaction rate.

Habitability in Different Milky Way Stellar Environments: A Stellar Interaction Dynamical Approach

PubMed Central

Pichardo, Bárbara; Lake, George; Segura, Antígona

2013-01-01

Abstract Every Galactic environment is characterized by a stellar density and a velocity dispersion. With this information from literature, we simulated flyby encounters for several Galactic regions, numerically calculating stellar trajectories as well as orbits for particles in disks; our aim was to understand the effect of typical stellar flybys on planetary (debris) disks in the Milky Way Galaxy. For the solar neighborhood, we examined nearby stars with known distance, proper motions, and radial velocities. We found occurrence of a disturbing impact to the solar planetary disk within the next 8 Myr to be highly unlikely; perturbations to the Oort cloud seem unlikely as well. Current knowledge of the full phase space of stars in the solar neighborhood, however, is rather poor; thus we cannot rule out the existence of a star that is more likely to approach than those for which we have complete kinematic information. We studied the effect of stellar encounters on planetary orbits within the habitable zones of stars in more crowded stellar environments, such as stellar clusters. We found that in open clusters habitable zones are not readily disrupted; this is true if they evaporate in less than 108 yr. For older clusters the results may not be the same. We specifically studied the case of Messier 67, one of the oldest open clusters known, and show the effect of this environment on debris disks. We also considered the conditions in globular clusters, the Galactic nucleus, and the Galactic bulge-bar. We calculated the probability of whether Oort clouds exist in these Galactic environments. Key Words: Stellar interactions—Galactic habitable zone—Oort cloud. Astrobiology 13, 491–509. PMID:23659647

The origin and evolution of r- and s-process elements in the Milky Way stellar disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Battistini, Chiara; Bensby, Thomas

2016-02-01

Context. Elements heavier than iron are produced through neutron-capture processes in the different phases of stellar evolution. Asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars are believed to be mainly responsible for elements that form through the slow neutron-capture process, while the elements created in the rapid neutron-capture process have production sites that are less understood. Knowledge of abundance ratios as functions of metallicity can lead to insight into the origin and evolution of our Galaxy and its stellar populations. Aims: We aim to trace the chemical evolution of the neutron-capture elements Sr, Zr, La, Ce, Nd, Sm, and Eu in the Milky Way stellar disk. This will allow us to constrain the formation sites of these elements, as well as to probe the evolution of the Galactic thin and thick disks. Methods: Using spectra of high resolution (42 000 ≲ R ≲ 65 000) and high signal-to-noise (S/N ≳ 200) obtained with the MIKE and the FEROS spectrographs, we determine Sr, Zr, La, Ce, Nd, Sm, and Eu abundances for a sample of 593 F and G dwarf stars in the solar neighborhood. The abundance analysis is based on spectral synthesis using one-dimensional, plane-parallel, local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) model stellar atmospheres calculated with the MARCS 2012 code. Results: We present abundance results for Sr (156 stars), Zr (311 stars), La (242 stars), Ce (365 stars), Nd (395 stars), Sm (280 stars), and Eu (378 stars). We find that Nd, Sm, and Eu show trends similar to what is observed for the α elements in the [X/Fe]-[Fe/H] abundance plane. For [Sr/Fe] and [Zr/Fe], we find decreasing abundance ratios for increasing metallicity, reaching sub-solar values at super-solar metallicities. [La/Fe] and [Ce/Fe] do not show any clear trend with metallicity, and they are close to solar values at all [Fe/H]. The trends of abundance ratios [X/Fe] as a function of stellar ages present different slopes before and after 8 Gyr. Conclusions: The rapid neutron-capture process is

Development of DEMO-FNS tokamak for fusion and hybrid technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuteev, B. V.; Azizov, E. A.; Alexeev, P. N.; Ignatiev, V. V.; Subbotin, S. A.; Tsibulskiy, V. F.

2015-07-01

The history of fusion-fission hybrid systems based on a tokamak device as an extremely efficient DT-fusion neutron source has passed through several periods of ample research activity in the world since the very beginning of fusion research in the 1950s. Recently, a new roadmap of the hybrid program has been proposed with the goal to build a pilot hybrid plant (PHP) in Russia by 2030. Development of the DEMO-FNS tokamak for fusion and hybrid technologies, which is planned to be built by 2023, is the key milestone on the path to the PHP. This facility is in the phase of conceptual design aimed at providing feasibility studies for a full set of steady state tokamak technologies at a fusion energy gain factor Q ˜ 1, fusion power of ˜40 MW and opportunities for testing a wide range of hybrid technologies with the emphasis on continuous nuclide processing in molten salts. This paper describes the project motivations, its current status and the key issues of the design.

Nuclear Fusion In Gases Of Deuterium Clusters And Hot Electron Generation In Droplet Sprays Under Irradiation With An Intense Femtosecond Laser

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

T. Ditmire; Zweiback, J; Cowan, T E

In conclusion, we have observed the production of 2.45 MeV deuterium fusion neutrons when a gas of deuterium clusters is irradiated with a 120 mJ, 35 fs laser pulse. When the focal position is optimized, we have observed as many as 10{sup 4} neutrons per laser shot. This yield is consistent with some simple estimates for the fusion yield. We also find that the fusion yield is a sensitive function of the deuterium cluster size in the target jet, a consequence of the Coulomb explosion origin of the fast deuterons. We also find that the neutron pulse duration is fast,more » with a characteristic burn time of well under 1 ns. This experiment may represent a means for producing a compact, table-top source of short pulse fusion neutrons for applications. Furthermore, we have measured hard x-ray yield from femtosecond laser interactions with both solid and micron scale droplet targets. Strong hard x-ray production is observed from both targets. However, the inferred electron temperature is somewhat higher in the case of irradiation of the droplets. These data are consistent with PIC simulations. This finding indicates that quite unique hot electron dynamics occur during the irradiation of wavelength scale particles by an intense laser field and likely warrants further study.« less

Near-Field Cosmology with Resolved Stellar Populations Around Local Volume LMC Stellar-Mass Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carlin, Jeffrey L.; Sand, David J.; Willman, Beth; Brodie, Jean P.; Crnojevic, Denija; Forbes, Duncan; Hargis, Jonathan R.; Peter, Annika; Pucha, Ragadeepika; Romanowsky, Aaron J.; Spekkens, Kristine; Strader, Jay

2018-06-01

We discuss our ongoing observational program to comprehensively map the entire virial volumes of roughly LMC stellar mass galaxies at distances of ~2-4 Mpc. The MADCASH (Magellanic Analog Dwarf Companions And Stellar Halos) survey will deliver the first census of the dwarf satellite populations and stellar halo properties within LMC-like environments in the Local Volume. Our results will inform our understanding of the recent DES discoveries of dwarf satellites tentatively affiliated with the LMC/SMC system. This program has already yielded the discovery of the faintest known dwarf galaxy satellite of an LMC stellar-mass host beyond the Local Group, based on deep Subaru+HyperSuprimeCam imaging reaching ~2 magnitudes below its TRGB, and at least two additional candidate satellites. We will summarize the survey results and status to date, highlighting some challenges encountered and lessons learned as we process the data for this program through a prototype LSST pipeline. Our program will examine whether LMC stellar mass dwarfs have extended stellar halos, allowing us to assess the relative contributions of in-situ stars vs. merger debris to their stellar populations and halo density profiles. We outline the constraints on galaxy formation models that will be provided by our observations of low-mass galaxy halos and their satellites.

Measurements of fast neutrons by bubble detectors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Castillo, F.; Martinez, H.; Leal, B.

2013-07-03

Neutron bubble detectors have been studied using Am-Be and D-D neuron sources, which give limited energy information. The Bubble Detector Spectrometer (BDS) have six different energy thresholds ranging from 10 KeV to 10 Mev. The number of bubbles obtained in each measurement is related to the dose (standardized response R) equivalent neutrons through sensitivity (b / {mu}Sv) and also with the neutron flux (neutrons per unit area) through a relationship that provided by the manufacturer. Bubble detectors were used with six different answers (0.11 b/ {mu}Sv, 0093 b/{mu}Sv, 0.14 b/{mu}Sv, 0.17 b/{mu}Sv, 0051 b/{mu}Sv). To test the response of themore » detectors (BDS) radiate a set of six of them with different energy threshold, with a source of Am-Be, placing them at a distance of one meter from it for a few minutes. Also, exposed to dense plasma focus Fuego Nuevo II (FN-II FPD) of ICN-UNAM, apparatus which produces fusion plasma, generating neutrons by nuclear reactions of neutrons whose energy emitting is 2.45 MeV. In this case the detectors were placed at a distance of 50 cm from the pinch at 90 Degree-Sign this was done for a certain number of shots. In both cases, the standard response is reported (Dose in {mu}Sv) for each of the six detectors representing an energy range, this response is given by the expression R{sub i}= B{sub i} / S{sub i} where B{sub i} is the number of bubbles formed in each and the detector sensitivity (S{sub i}) is given for each detector in (b / {mu}Sv). Also, reported for both cases, the detected neutron flux (n cm{sup -2}), by a given ratio and the response involves both standardized R, as the average cross section sigma. The results obtained have been compared with the spectrum of Am-Be source. From these measurements it can be concluded that with a combination of bubble detectors, with different responses is possible to measure the equivalent dose in a range of 10 to 100 {mu}Sv fields mixed neutron and gamma, and pulsed generated

Deriving stellar inclination of slow rotators using stellar activity

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dumusque, X., E-mail: xdumusque@cfa.harvard.edu

2014-12-01

Stellar inclination is an important parameter for many astrophysical studies. Although different techniques allow us to estimate stellar inclination for fast rotators, it becomes much more difficult when stars are rotating slower than ∼2-2.5 km s{sup –1}. By using the new activity simulation SOAP 2.0 which can reproduce the photometric and spectroscopic variations induced by stellar activity, we are able to fit observations of solar-type stars and derive their inclination. For HD 189733, we estimate the stellar inclination to be i=84{sub −20}{sup +6} deg, which implies a star-planet obliquity of ψ=4{sub −4}{sup +18} considering previous measurements of the spin-orbit angle.more » For α Cen B, we derive an inclination of i=45{sub −19}{sup +9}, which implies that the rotational spin of the star is not aligned with the orbital spin of the α Cen binary system. In addition, assuming that α Cen Bb is aligned with its host star, no transit would occur. The inclination of α Cen B can be measured using 40 radial-velocity measurements, which is remarkable given that the projected rotational velocity of the star is smaller than 1.15 km s{sup –1}.« less

Feasibility study on medical isotope production using a compact neutron generator.

PubMed

Leung, Ka-Ngo; Leung, James K; Melville, Graeme

2018-07-01

Compact neutron generators can provide high flux of neutrons with energies ranging from thermal (0.025 eV) to 14 MeV. Recent measurements demonstrated high neutron yields from the D- 7 Li fusion reaction at an interaction energy of 500 keV. Using the D- 7 Li reaction and applying new advancements in high flux neutron generator technology along with the commercial availability of high voltage DC power supplies enables the production of useful quantities of radioisotopes for medical applications. Using the known neutron reaction cross-sections, it has been estimated that hundreds-to-thousands MBq (or tens-to-hundreds mCi) of 99 Mo, 225 Ac, 64 Cu and 67 Cu can be obtained from a compact high flux neutron generator. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In-flight neutron spectra as an ICF diagnostic for implosion asymmetries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cerjan, C.; Sayre, D. B.; Sepke, S. M.

2018-02-01

The yield and spectral shape of the neutrons produced during in-flight reactions provide stringent constraints upon the symmetry of the fully compressed fuel conditions in Inertial Confinement Fusion implosions. Neutron production from a specific deuterium gas-filled implosion is simulated in detail and compared with the experimental neutron spectra along two lines-of-sight. An approximate reactivity formulation is applied to obtain further insight into the underlying fuel configuration. This analysis suggests that the differences observed in the observed spectra correspond to angularly dependent triton velocity distributions created by an asymmetric plasma configuration.

Cas A and the Crab were not stellar binaries at death

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kochanek, C. S.

2018-01-01

The majority of massive stars are in binaries, which implies that many core collapse supernovae should be binaries at the time of the explosion. Here we show that the three most recent, local (visual) SNe (the Crab, Cas A and SN 1987A) were not stellar binaries at death, with limits on the initial mass ratios of q = M2/M1 ≲ 0.1. No quantitative limits have previously been set for Cas A and the Crab, while for SN 1987A we merely updated existing limits in view of new estimates of the dust content. The lack of stellar companions to these three ccSNe implies a 90 per cent confidence upper limit on the q ≳ 0.1 binary fraction at death of fb < 44 per cent. In a passively evolving binary model (meaning no binary interactions), with a flat mass ratio distribution and a Salpeter IMF, the resulting 90 per cent confidence upper limit on the initial binary fraction of F < 63 per cent is in tension with observed massive binary statistics. Allowing a significant fraction fM ≃ 25 per cent of stellar binaries to merge reduces the tension, with F < 63({1-f}M)^{-1}{ per cent} ˜eq 81{ per cent}, but allowing for the significant fraction in higher order systems (triples, etc.) reintroduces the tension. That Cas A was not a stellar binary at death also shows that a surviving massive binary companion at the time of the explosion is not necessary for producing a Type IIb SNe. Much larger surveys for binary companions to Galactic SNe will become feasible with the release of the full Gaia proper motion and parallax catalogues providing a powerful probe of the statistics of such binaries and their role in massive star evolution, neutron star velocity distributions and runaway stars.

Tidal effects on stellar activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poppenhaeger, K.

2017-10-01

The architecture of many exoplanetary systems is different from the solar system, with exoplanets being in close orbits around their host stars and having orbital periods of only a few days. We can expect interactions between the star and the exoplanet for such systems that are similar to the tidal interactions observed in close stellar binary systems. For the exoplanet, tidal interaction can lead to circularization of its orbit and the synchronization of its rotational and orbital period. For the host star, it has long been speculated if significant angular momentum transfer can take place between the planetary orbit and the stellar rotation. In the case of the Earth-Moon system, such tidal interaction has led to an increasing distance between Earth and Moon. For stars with Hot Jupiters, where the orbital period of the exoplanet is typically shorter than the stellar rotation period, one expects a decreasing semimajor axis for the planet and enhanced stellar rotation, leading to increased stellar activity. Also excess turbulence in the stellar convective zone due to rising and subsiding tidal bulges may change the magnetic activity we observe for the host star. I will review recent observational results on stellar activity and tidal interaction in the presence of close-in exoplanets, and discuss the effects of enhanced stellar activity on the exoplanets in such systems.

Cosmological quantum chromodynamics, neutron diffusion, and the production of primordial heavy elements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Applegate, J. H.; Hogan, Craig J.; Scherrer, R. J.

1988-01-01

A simple one-dimensional model is used to describe the evolution of neutron density before and during nucleosynthesis in a high-entropy bubble left over from the cosmic quark-hadron phase transition. It is shown why cosmic nucleosynthesis in such a neutron-rich environment produces a surfeit of elements heavier than lithium. Analytical and numerical techniques are used to estimate the abundances of carbon, nitrogen, and heavier elements up to Ne-22. A high-density neutron-rich region produces enough primordial N-14 to be observed in stellar atmospheres. It shown that very heavy elements may be created in a cosmological r-process; the neutron exposure in the neutron-rich regions is large enough for the Ne-22 to trigger a catastrophic r-process runaway in which the quantity of heavy elements doubles in much less than an expansion time due to fission cycling. A primordial abundance of r-process elements is predicted to appear as an excess of rare earth elements in extremely metal-poor stars.

Present status of liquid metal research for a fusion reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tabarés, Francisco L.

2016-01-01

Although the use of solid materials as targets of divertor plasmas in magnetic fusion research is accepted as the standard solution for the very challenging issue of power and particle handling in a fusion reactor, a generalized feeling that the present options chosen for ITER will not represent the best choice for a reactor is growing up. The problems found for tungsten, the present selection for the divertor target of ITER, in laboratory tests and in hot plasma fusion devices suggest so. Even in the absence of the strong neutron irradiation expected in a reactor, issues like surface melting, droplet ejection, surface cracking, dust generation, etc., call for alternative solutions in a long pulse, high efficient fusion energy-producing continuous machine. Fortunately enough, decades of research on plasma facing materials based on liquid metals (LMs) have produced a wealth of appealing ideas that could find practical application in the route to the realization of a commercial fusion power plant. The options presently available, although in a different degree of maturity, range from full coverage of the inner wall of the device with liquid metals, so that power and particle exhaust together with neutron shielding could be provided, to more conservative combinations of liquid metal films and conventional solid targets basically representing a sort of high performance, evaporative coating for the alleviation of the surface degradation issues found so far. In this work, an updated review of worldwide activities on LM research is presented, together with some open issues still remaining and some proposals based on simple physical considerations leading to the optimization of the most conservative alternatives.

Relativistic stellar stability: An empirical approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ni, W.

1972-01-01

The PPN formalism which encompasses the post-Newtonian limit of nearly every metric theory of gravity is used to analyze stellar stability. This analysis enables one to infer, for any given gravitation theory, the extent to which post-Newtonian effects induce instabilities in white dwarfs, in neutron stars, and in supermassive stars. It also reveals the extent to which our current empirical knowledge of post-Newtonian gravity (based on solar-system experiments) actually guarantees that relativistic instabilities exist. In particular, it shows that: (1) for conservative theories of gravity, current solar-system experiments guarantee that the critical adiabatic index, for the stability of stars against radial pulsations exceeds the Newtonian value of 4/3 and (2) for nonconservative theories, current experiments do not permit any firm conclusion about the sign of the critical adiabatic index, and (3) in the PPN approximation to every metric theory, the standard Schwarzschild criterion for convection is valid.

On the role of fusion neutron source with thorium blanket in forming the nuclide composition of the nuclear fuel cycle of the Russian Federation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shmelev, A. N.; Kulikov, G. G., E-mail: ggkulikov@mephi.ru

The possible role of available thorium resources of the Russian Federation in utilization of thorium in the closed (U–Pu)-fuel cycle of nuclear power is considered. The efficiency of application of fusion neutron sources with thorium blanket for economical use of available thorium resources is demonstrated. The objective of this study is the search for a solution of such major tasks of nuclear power as reduction of the amount of front-end operations in the nuclear fuel cycle and enhancement of its protection against uncontrolled proliferation of fissile materials with the smallest possible alterations in the fuel cycle. The earlier results aremore » analyzed, new information on the amount of thorium resources of the Russian Federation is used, and additional estimates are made. The following basic results obtained on the basis of the assumption of involving fusion reactors with Th-blanket in future nuclear power for generation of the light uranium fraction {sup 232+233+234}U and {sup 231}Pa are formulated. (1) The fuel cycle would shift from fissile {sup 235}U to {sup 233}U, which is more attractive for thermal power reactors. (2) The light uranium fraction is the most “protected” in the uranium fuel component, and being mixed with regenerated uranium, it would become reduced-enrichment uranium fuel, which would relieve the problem of nonproliferation of the fissile material. (3) The addition of {sup 231}Pa into the fuel would stabilize its neutron-multiplying properties, thus making it possible to implement a long fuel residence time and, as a consequence, increase the export potential of the whole nuclear power technology. (4) The available thorium resource in the vicinity of Krasnoufimsk is sufficient for operation of the large-scale nuclear power industry of the Russian Federation with an electric power of 70 GW for more than one quarter of a century. The general conclusion is that involvement of a small number of fusion reactors with Th-blanket in the

Simulating irradiation hardening in tungsten under fast neutron irradiation including Re production by transmutation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Chen-Hsi; Gilbert, Mark R.; Marian, Jaime

2018-02-01

Simulations of neutron damage under fusion energy conditions must capture the effects of transmutation, both in terms of accurate chemical inventory buildup as well as the physics of the interactions between transmutation elements and irradiation defect clusters. In this work, we integrate neutronics, primary damage calculations, molecular dynamics results, Re transmutation calculations, and stochastic cluster dynamics simulations to study neutron damage in single-crystal tungsten to mimic divertor materials. To gauge the accuracy and validity of the simulations, we first study the material response under experimental conditions at the JOYO fast reactor in Japan and the High Flux Isotope Reactor at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, for which measurements of cluster densities and hardening levels up to 2 dpa exist. We then provide calculations under expected DEMO fusion conditions. Several key mechanisms involving Re atoms and defect clusters are found to govern the accumulation of irradiation damage in each case. We use established correlations to translate damage accumulation into hardening increases and compare our results to the experimental measurements. We find hardening increases in excess of 5000 MPa in all cases, which casts doubts about the integrity of W-based materials under long-term fusion exposure.

New theory of stellar convection without the mixing-length parameter: new stellar atmosphere model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pasetto, Stefano; Chiosi, Cesare; Cropper, Mark; Grebel, Eva K.

2018-01-01

Stellar convection is usually described by the mixing-length theory, which makes use of the mixing-length scale factor to express the convective flux, velocity, and temperature gradients of the convective elements and stellar medium. The mixing-length scale is proportional to the local pressure scale height of the star, and the proportionality factor (i.e. mixing-length parameter) is determined by comparing the stellar models to some calibrator, i.e. the Sun. No strong arguments exist to suggest that the mixing-length parameter is the same in all stars and all evolutionary phases and because of this, all stellar models in the literature are hampered by this basic uncertainty. In a recent paper [1] we presented a new theory that does not require the mixing length parameter. Our self-consistent analytical formulation of stellar convection determines all the properties of stellar convection as a function of the physical behavior of the convective elements themselves and the surrounding medium. The new theory of stellar convection is formulated starting from a conventional solution of the Navier-Stokes/Euler equations expressed in a non-inertial reference frame co-moving with the convective elements. The motion of stellar convective cells inside convective-unstable layers is fully determined by a new system of equations for convection in a non-local and time-dependent formalism. The predictions of the new theory are compared with those from the standard mixing-length paradigm with positive results for atmosphere models of the Sun and all the stars in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram.

Fusion Breeding for Sustainable, Mid Century, Carbon Free Power

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manheimer, Wallace

2015-11-01

If ITER achieves Q ~10, it is still very far from useful fusion. The fusion power, and the driver power will allow only a small amount of power to be delivered, <~50MW for an ITER scale tokamak. It is unlikely, considering ``conservative design rules'' that tokamaks can ever be economical pure fusion power producers. Considering the status of other magnetic fusion concepts, it is also very unlikely that any alternate concept will either. Laser fusion does not seem to be constrained by any conservative design rules, but considering the failure of NIF to achhieve ignition, at this point it has many more obstacles to overcome than magnetic fusion. One way out of this dilemma is to use an ITER size tokamak, or a NIF size laser, as a fuel breeder for searate nuclear reactors. Hence ITER and NIF become ends in themselves, instead of steps to who knows what DEMO decades later. Such a tokamak can easily live within the consrtaints of conservative design rules. This has led the author to propose ``The Energy Park'' a sustainable, carbon free, economical, and environmently viable power source without prolifertion risk. It is one fusion breeder fuels 5 conventional nuclear reactors, and one fast neutron reactor burns the actinide wastes.

Stellar X-Ray Polarimetry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swank, J.

2011-01-01

Most of the stellar end-state black holes, pulsars, and white dwarfs that are X-ray sources should have polarized X-ray fluxes. The degree will depend on the relative contributions of the unresolved structures. Fluxes from accretion disks and accretion disk corona may be polarized by scattering. Beams and jets may have contributions of polarized emission in strong magnetic fields. The Gravity and Extreme Magnetism Small Explorer (GEMS) will study the effects on polarization of strong gravity of black holes and strong magnetism of neutron stars. Some part of the flux from compact stars accreting from companion stars has been reflected from the companion, its wind, or accretion streams. Polarization of this component is a potential tool for studying the structure of the gas in these binary systems. Polarization due to scattering can also be present in X-ray emission from white dwarf binaries and binary normal stars such as RS CVn stars and colliding wind sources like Eta Car. Normal late type stars may have polarized flux from coronal flares. But X-ray polarization sensitivity is not at the level needed for single early type stars.

A fission-fusion hybrid reactor in steady-state L-mode tokamak configuration with natural uranium

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Reed, Mark; Parker, Ronald R.; Forget, Benoit

2012-06-19

This work develops a conceptual design for a fusion-fission hybrid reactor operating in steady-state L-mode tokamak configuration with a subcritical natural or depleted uranium pebble bed blanket. A liquid lithium-lead alloy breeds enough tritium to replenish that consumed by the D-T fusion reaction. The fission blanket augments the fusion power such that the fusion core itself need not have a high power gain, thus allowing for fully non-inductive (steady-state) low confinement mode (L-mode) operation at relatively small physical dimensions. A neutron transport Monte Carlo code models the natural uranium fission blanket. Maximizing the fission power gain while breeding sufficient tritiummore » allows for the selection of an optimal set of blanket parameters, which yields a maximum prudent fission power gain of approximately 7. A 0-D tokamak model suffices to analyze approximate tokamak operating conditions. This fission blanket would allow the fusion component of a hybrid reactor with the same dimensions as ITER to operate in steady-state L-mode very comfortably with a fusion power gain of 6.7 and a thermal fusion power of 2.1 GW. Taking this further can determine the approximate minimum scale for a steady-state L-mode tokamak hybrid reactor, which is a major radius of 5.2 m and an aspect ratio of 2.8. This minimum scale device operates barely within the steady-state L-mode realm with a thermal fusion power of 1.7 GW. Basic thermal hydraulic analysis demonstrates that pressurized helium could cool the pebble bed fission blanket with a flow rate below 10 m/s. The Brayton cycle thermal efficiency is 41%. This reactor, dubbed the Steady-state L-mode non-Enriched Uranium Tokamak Hybrid (SLEUTH), with its very fast neutron spectrum, could be superior to pure fission reactors in terms of breeding fissile fuel and transmuting deleterious fission products. It would likely function best as a prolific plutonium breeder, and the plutonium it produces could actually be more

A fission-fusion hybrid reactor in steady-state L-mode tokamak configuration with natural uranium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reed, Mark; Parker, Ronald R.; Forget, Benoit

2012-06-01

This work develops a conceptual design for a fusion-fission hybrid reactor operating in steady-state L-mode tokamak configuration with a subcritical natural or depleted uranium pebble bed blanket. A liquid lithium-lead alloy breeds enough tritium to replenish that consumed by the D-T fusion reaction. The fission blanket augments the fusion power such that the fusion core itself need not have a high power gain, thus allowing for fully non-inductive (steady-state) low confinement mode (L-mode) operation at relatively small physical dimensions. A neutron transport Monte Carlo code models the natural uranium fission blanket. Maximizing the fission power gain while breeding sufficient tritium allows for the selection of an optimal set of blanket parameters, which yields a maximum prudent fission power gain of approximately 7. A 0-D tokamak model suffices to analyze approximate tokamak operating conditions. This fission blanket would allow the fusion component of a hybrid reactor with the same dimensions as ITER to operate in steady-state L-mode very comfortably with a fusion power gain of 6.7 and a thermal fusion power of 2.1 GW. Taking this further can determine the approximate minimum scale for a steady-state L-mode tokamak hybrid reactor, which is a major radius of 5.2 m and an aspect ratio of 2.8. This minimum scale device operates barely within the steady-state L-mode realm with a thermal fusion power of 1.7 GW. Basic thermal hydraulic analysis demonstrates that pressurized helium could cool the pebble bed fission blanket with a flow rate below 10 m/s. The Brayton cycle thermal efficiency is 41%. This reactor, dubbed the Steady-state L-mode non-Enriched Uranium Tokamak Hybrid (SLEUTH), with its very fast neutron spectrum, could be superior to pure fission reactors in terms of breeding fissile fuel and transmuting deleterious fission products. It would likely function best as a prolific plutonium breeder, and the plutonium it produces could actually be more

Fast neutron flux analyzer with real-time digital pulse shape discrimination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivanova, A. A.; Zubarev, P. V.; Ivanenko, S. V.; Khilchenko, A. D.; Kotelnikov, A. I.; Polosatkin, S. V.; Puryga, E. A.; Shvyrev, V. G.; Sulyaev, Yu. S.

2016-08-01

Investigation of subthermonuclear plasma confinement and heating in magnetic fusion devices such as GOL-3 and GDT at the Budker Institute (Novosibirsk, Russia) requires sophisticated equipment for neutron-, gamma- diagnostics and upgrading data acquisition systems with online data processing. Measurement of fast neutron flux with stilbene scintillation detectors raised the problem of discrimination of the neutrons (n) from background cosmic particles (muons) and neutron-induced gamma rays (γ). This paper describes a fast neutron flux analyzer with real-time digital pulse-shape discrimination (DPSD) algorithm FPGA-implemented for the GOL-3 and GDT devices. This analyzer was tested and calibrated with the help of 137Cs and 252Cf radiation sources. The Figures of Merit (FOM) calculated for different energy cuts are presented.

Chemical composition of the stellar cluster Gaia1: no surprise behind Sirius

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mucciarelli, A.; Monaco, L.; Bonifacio, P.; Saviane, I.

2017-07-01

We observed six He-clump stars of the intermediate-age stellar cluster Gaia1 with the MIKE/Magellan spectrograph. A possible extra-galactic origin of this cluster, recently discovered thanks to the first data release of the ESA Gaia mission, has been suggested, based on its orbital parameters. Abundances for Fe, α, proton- and neutron-capture elements have been obtained. We find no evidence of intrinsic abundance spreads. The iron abundance is solar ([FeI/H] = + 0.00 ± 0.01; σ = 0.03 dex). All the other abundance ratios are generally solar-scaled, similar to the Galactic thin disk and open cluster stars of similar metallicity. The chemical composition of Gaia1 does not support an extra-galactic origin for this stellar cluster, which can be considered as a standard Galactic open cluster. The full Table A.1 is only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (http://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/603/L7

Intermediate-mass Elements in Young Supernova Remnants Reveal Neutron Star Kicks by Asymmetric Explosions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Katsuda, Satoru; Morii, Mikio; Janka, Hans-Thomas; Wongwathanarat, Annop; Nakamura, Ko; Kotake, Kei; Mori, Koji; Müller, Ewald; Takiwaki, Tomoya; Tanaka, Masaomi; Tominaga, Nozomu; Tsunemi, Hiroshi

2018-03-01

The birth properties of neutron stars (NSs) yield important information about the still-debated physical processes that trigger the explosion as well as on intrinsic neutron-star physics. These properties include the high space velocities of young neutron stars with average values of several 100 km s‑1, with an underlying “kick” mechanism that is not fully clarified. There are two competing possibilities that could accelerate NSs during their birth: anisotropic ejection of either stellar debris or neutrinos. Here we present new evidence from X-ray measurements that chemical elements between silicon and calcium in six young gaseous supernova remnants are preferentially expelled opposite to the direction of neutron star motion. There is no correlation between the kick velocities and magnetic field strengths of these neutron stars. Our results support a hydrodynamic origin of neutron-star kicks connected to asymmetric explosive mass ejection, and they conflict with neutron-star acceleration scenarios that invoke anisotropic neutrino emission caused by particle and nuclear physics in combination with very strong neutron-star magnetic fields.

Understanding fuel magnetization and mix using secondary nuclear reactions in magneto-inertial fusion.

PubMed

Schmit, P F; Knapp, P F; Hansen, S B; Gomez, M R; Hahn, K D; Sinars, D B; Peterson, K J; Slutz, S A; Sefkow, A B; Awe, T J; Harding, E; Jennings, C A; Chandler, G A; Cooper, G W; Cuneo, M E; Geissel, M; Harvey-Thompson, A J; Herrmann, M C; Hess, M H; Johns, O; Lamppa, D C; Martin, M R; McBride, R D; Porter, J L; Robertson, G K; Rochau, G A; Rovang, D C; Ruiz, C L; Savage, M E; Smith, I C; Stygar, W A; Vesey, R A

2014-10-10

Magnetizing the fuel in inertial confinement fusion relaxes ignition requirements by reducing thermal conductivity and changing the physics of burn product confinement. Diagnosing the level of fuel magnetization during burn is critical to understanding target performance in magneto-inertial fusion (MIF) implosions. In pure deuterium fusion plasma, 1.01 MeV tritons are emitted during deuterium-deuterium fusion and can undergo secondary deuterium-tritium reactions before exiting the fuel. Increasing the fuel magnetization elongates the path lengths through the fuel of some of the tritons, enhancing their probability of reaction. Based on this feature, a method to diagnose fuel magnetization using the ratio of overall deuterium-tritium to deuterium-deuterium neutron yields is developed. Analysis of anisotropies in the secondary neutron energy spectra further constrain the measurement. Secondary reactions also are shown to provide an upper bound for the volumetric fuel-pusher mix in MIF. The analysis is applied to recent MIF experiments [M. R. Gomez et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 155003 (2014)] on the Z Pulsed Power Facility, indicating that significant magnetic confinement of charged burn products was achieved and suggesting a relatively low-mix environment. Both of these are essential features of future ignition-scale MIF designs.

A Dosimetry Study of Deuterium-Deuterium Neutron Generator-based In Vivo Neutron Activation Analysis.

PubMed

Sowers, Daniel; Liu, Yingzi; Mostafaei, Farshad; Blake, Scott; Nie, Linda H

2015-12-01

A neutron irradiation cavity for in vivo neutron activation analysis (IVNAA) to detect manganese, aluminum, and other potentially toxic elements in human hand bone has been designed and its dosimetric specifications measured. The neutron source is a customized deuterium-deuterium neutron generator that produces neutrons at 2.45 MeV by the fusion reaction 2H(d, n)3He at a calculated flux of 7 × 10(8) ± 30% s(-1). A moderator/reflector/shielding [5 cm high density polyethylene (HDPE), 5.3 cm graphite and 5.7 cm borated (HDPE)] assembly has been designed and built to maximize the thermal neutron flux inside the hand irradiation cavity and to reduce the extremity dose and effective dose to the human subject. Lead sheets are used to attenuate bremsstrahlung x rays and activation gammas. A Monte Carlo simulation (MCNP6) was used to model the system and calculate extremity dose. The extremity dose was measured with neutron and photon sensitive film badges and Fuji electronic pocket dosimeters (EPD). The neutron ambient dose outside the shielding was measured by Fuji NSN3, and the photon dose was measured by a Bicron MicroREM scintillator. Neutron extremity dose was calculated to be 32.3 mSv using MCNP6 simulations given a 10-min IVNAA measurement of manganese. Measurements by EPD and film badge indicate hand dose to be 31.7 ± 0.8 mSv for neutrons and 4.2 ± 0.2 mSv for photons for 10 min; whole body effective dose was calculated conservatively to be 0.052 mSv. Experimental values closely match values obtained from MCNP6 simulations. These are acceptable doses to apply the technology for a manganese toxicity study in a human population.

Design of a tokamak fusion reactor first wall armor against neutral beam impingement

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Myers, R.A.

1977-12-01

The maximum temperatures and thermal stresses are calculated for various first wall design proposals, using both analytical solutions and the TRUMP and SAP IV Computer Codes. Beam parameters, such as pulse time, cycle time, and beam power, are varied. It is found that uncooled plates should be adequate for near-term devices, while cooled protection will be necessary for fusion power reactors. Graphite and tungsten are selected for analysis because of their desirable characteristics. Graphite allows for higher heat fluxes compared to tungsten for similar pulse times. Anticipated erosion (due to surface effects) and plasma impurity fraction are estimated. Neutron irradiationmore » damage is also discussed. Neutron irradiation damage (rather than erosion, fatigue, or creep) is estimated to be the lifetime-limiting factor on the lifetime of the component in fusion power reactors. It is found that the use of tungsten in fusion power reactors, when directly exposed to the plasma, will cause serious plasma impurity problems; graphite should not present such an impurity problem.« less

The Roles and Developments needed for Diagnostics in the ITER Fusion Device

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Walsh, Michael

2015-07-01

Harnessing the power from Fusion on earth is an important and challenging task. Excellent work has been carried out in this area over the years with several demonstrations of the ability to produce power. Now, a new large device is being constructed in the south of France. This is called ITER. ITER is a large-scale scientific experiment that aims to demonstrate a possibility to produce commercial energy from fusion. This project is now well underway with the many teams working on the construction and completing various aspects of the design. This device will carry up to 15 MA of plasmamore » current and produce about 500 MW of power, 400 MW approximately in high energy neutrons. The typical temperatures of the electrons inside this device are in the region of a few hundred million Kelvin. It is maintained using a magnetic field. This device is pushing several boundaries from those currently existing. As a result of this, several technologies need to be developed or extended. This is especially true for the systems or diagnostics that measure the performance and provide the control signals for this device. A diagnostic set will be installed on the ITER machine to provide the measurements necessary to control, evaluate and optimize plasma performance in ITER and to further the understanding of plasma physics. These include amongst others, measurements of the plasma shape, temperature, density, impurity concentration, and particle and energy confinement times. The system will comprise about 45 individual measuring systems drawn from the full range of modern plasma diagnostic techniques, including magnetics, lasers, X-rays, neutron cameras, impurity monitors, particle spectrometers, radiation bolometers, pressure and gas analysis, and optical fibres. These devices will have to be made to work in the new and challenging environment inside the vacuum vessel. These systems will have to cope with a range of phenomena that extend the current knowledge in the Fusion field

Inter-machine validation study of neoclassical transport modelling in medium- to high-density stellarator-heliotron plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dinklage, A.; Yokoyama, M.; Tanaka, K.; Velasco, J. L.; López-Bruna, D.; Beidler, C. D.; Satake, S.; Ascasíbar, E.; Arévalo, J.; Baldzuhn, J.; Feng, Y.; Gates, D.; Geiger, J.; Ida, K.; Isaev, M.; Jakubowski, M.; López-Fraguas, A.; Maaßberg, H.; Miyazawa, J.; Morisaki, T.; Murakami, S.; Pablant, N.; Kobayashi, S.; Seki, R.; Suzuki, C.; Suzuki, Y.; Turkin, Yu.; Wakasa, A.; Wolf, R.; Yamada, H.; Yoshinuma, M.; LHD Exp. Group; TJ-II Team; W7-AS Team

2013-06-01

A comparative study of energy transport for medium- to high-density discharges in the stellarator-heliotrons TJ-II, W7-AS and LHD is carried out. The specific discharge parameters are chosen to apply a recently concluded benchmarking study of neoclassical (NC) transport coefficients (Beidler et al 2011 Nucl. Fusion 51 076001) to perform this validation study. In contrast to previous experiments at low densities for which electron transport was predominant (Yokoyama et al 2007 Nucl. Fusion 47 1213), the current discharges also exhibit significant ion energy transport. As it affects the energy transport in 3D devices, the ambipolar radial electric field is addressed as well. For the discharges described, ion-root conditions, i.e. a small negative radial electric field were found. The energy transport in the peripheral region cannot be explained by NC theory. Within a ‘core region’(r/a < 1/2 ˜ 2/3), the predicted NC energy fluxes comply with experimental findings for W7-AS. For TJ-II, compliance in the core region is found for the particle transport and the electron energy transport. For the specific LHD discharges, the core energy transport complied with NC theory except for the electron energy transport in the inward-shifted magnetic configuration. The NC radial electric field tends to agree with experimental results for all devices but is measured to be more negative in the core of both LHD and TJ-II. As a general observation, the energy confinement time approaches the gyro-Bohm-type confinement scaling ISS04 (Yamada et al 2005 Nucl. Fusion 45 1684). This work is carried out within the International Stellarator-Heliotron Profile Database (www.ipp.mpg.de/ISS and http://ishpdb.nifs.ac.jp/index.html).

Quasi-periodic accretion and gravitational waves from oscillating `toroidal neutron stars' around a Schwarzschild black hole

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zanotti, Olindo; Rezzolla, Luciano; Font, José A.

2003-05-01

We present general relativistic hydrodynamics simulations of constant specific angular momentum tori orbiting a Schwarzschild black hole. These tori are expected to form as a result of stellar gravitational collapse, binary neutron star merger or disruption, can reach very high rest-mass densities and behave effectively as neutron stars but with a toroidal topology (i.e. `toroidal neutron stars'). Here our attention is focused on the dynamical response of these objects to axisymmetric perturbations. We show that upon the introduction of perturbations, these systems either become unstable to the runaway instability or exhibit a regular oscillatory behaviour, resulting in a quasi-periodic variation of the accretion rate as well as of the mass quadrupole. The latter, in particular, is responsible for the emission of intense gravitational radiation for which the signal-to-noise ratio at the detector is comparable to or larger than the typical one expected in stellar-core collapse, making these new sources of gravitational waves potentially detectable. We discuss a systematic investigation of the parameter space in both the linear and non-linear regimes, providing estimates of how the gravitational radiation emitted depends on the mass of the torus and on the strength of the perturbation.

Neutron starquakes and the nature of gamma-ray bursts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Madau, P.; Blaes, O.; Blandford, R. D.; Goldreich, P.

1989-01-01

The possibility that gamma-ray bursts originate from quakes deep in the solid crust of a neutron star is investigated. Seismic waves are radiated if shear stress is relieved by brittle fracture. However they cannot propagate directly to the surface but are temporarily trapped below a reflecting layer. The shaking of the stellar surface couples the seismic waves to Alfven waves which propagate out into the magnetosphere. The crust-magnetosphere transmission coefficient strongly increases with wave frequency and magnetic field strength. Alfven wave luminosities sufficient to power galactic gamma-ray bursts are possible if magnetic fields greater than 100 billion G cover at least part of the stellar surface. As the Alfven waves propagate out into the low density magnetosphere, they become increasingly charge starved, thereby accelerating particles to relativistic energies.

Optimization of a mirror-based neutron source using differential evolution algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yurov, D. V.; Prikhodko, V. V.

2016-12-01

This study is dedicated to the assessment of capabilities of gas-dynamic trap (GDT) and gas-dynamic multiple-mirror trap (GDMT) as potential neutron sources for subcritical hybrids. In mathematical terms the problem of the study has been formulated as determining the global maximum of fusion gain (Q pl), the latter represented as a function of trap parameters. A differential evolution method has been applied to perform the search. Considered in all calculations has been a configuration of the neutron source with 20 m long distance between the mirrors and 100 MW heating power. It is important to mention that the numerical study has also taken into account a number of constraints on plasma characteristics so as to provide physical credibility of searched-for trap configurations. According to the results obtained the traps considered have demonstrated fusion gain up to 0.2, depending on the constraints applied. This enables them to be used either as neutron sources within subcritical reactors for minor actinides incineration or as material-testing facilities.

EQUATION OF STATE FOR NUCLEONIC AND HYPERONIC NEUTRON STARS WITH MASS AND RADIUS CONSTRAINTS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tolos, Laura; Centelles, Mario; Ramos, Angels

We obtain a new equation of state for the nucleonic and hyperonic inner core of neutron stars that fulfils the 2 M {sub ⊙} observations as well as the recent determinations of stellar radii below 13 km. The nucleonic equation of state is obtained from a new parameterization of the FSU2 relativistic mean-field functional that satisfies these latest astrophysical constraints and, at the same time, reproduces the properties of nuclear matter and finite nuclei while fulfilling the restrictions on high-density matter deduced from heavy-ion collisions. On the one hand, the equation of state of neutron star matter is softened aroundmore » saturation density, which increases the compactness of canonical neutron stars leading to stellar radii below 13 km. On the other hand, the equation of state is stiff enough at higher densities to fulfil the 2 M {sub ⊙} limit. By a slight modification of the parameterization, we also find that the constraints of 2 M {sub ⊙} neutron stars with radii around 13 km are satisfied when hyperons are considered. The inclusion of the high magnetic fields present in magnetars further stiffens the equation of state. Hyperonic magnetars with magnetic fields in the surface of ∼10{sup 15} G and with values of ∼10{sup 18} G in the interior can reach maximum masses of 2 M {sub ⊙} with radii in the 12–13 km range.« less

Beryllium for fusion application - recent results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khomutov, A.; Barabash, V.; Chakin, V.; Chernov, V.; Davydov, D.; Gorokhov, V.; Kawamura, H.; Kolbasov, B.; Kupriyanov, I.; Longhurst, G.; Scaffidi-Argentina, F.; Shestakov, V.

2002-12-01

The main issues for the application of beryllium in fusion reactors are analyzed taking into account the latest results since the ICFRM-9 (Colorado, USA, October 1999) and presented at 5th IEA Be Workshop (10-12 October 2001, Moscow Russia). Considerable progress has been made recently in understanding the problems connected with the selection of the beryllium grades for different applications, characterization of the beryllium at relevant operational conditions (irradiation effects, thermal fatigue, etc.), and development of required manufacturing technologies. The key remaining problems related to the application of beryllium as an armour in near-term fusion reactors (e.g. ITER) are discussed. The features of the application of beryllium and beryllides as a neutron multiplier in the breeder blanket for power reactors (e.g. DEMO) in pebble-bed form are described.

Commercial objectives, technology transfer, and systems analysis for fusion power development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dean, Stephen O.

1988-03-01

Fusion is an essentially inexhaustible source of energy that has the potential for economically attractive commercial applications with excellent safety and environmental characteristics. The primary focus for the fusion-energy development program is the generation of centralstation electricity. Fusion has the potential, however, for many other applications. The fact that a large fraction of the energy released in a DT fusion reaction is carried by high-energy neutrons suggests potentially unique applications. These include breeding of fissile fuels, production of hydrogen and other chemical products, transmutation or “burning” of various nuclear or chemical wastes, radiation processing of materials, production of radioisotopes, food preservation, medical diagnosis and medical treatment, and space power and space propulsion. In addition, fusion R&D will lead to new products and new markets. Each fusion application must meet certain standards of economic and safety and environmental attractiveness. For this reason, economics on the one hand, and safety and environment and licensing on the other hand, are the two primary criteria for setting long-range commercial fusion objectives. A major function of systems analysis is to evaluate the potential of fusion against these objectives and to help guide the fusion R&D program toward practical applications. The transfer of fusion technology and skills from the national laboratories and universities to industry is the key to achieving the long-range objective of commercial fusion applications.

Habitability in different Milky Way stellar environments: a stellar interaction dynamical approach.

PubMed

Jiménez-Torres, Juan J; Pichardo, Bárbara; Lake, George; Segura, Antígona

2013-05-01

Every Galactic environment is characterized by a stellar density and a velocity dispersion. With this information from literature, we simulated flyby encounters for several Galactic regions, numerically calculating stellar trajectories as well as orbits for particles in disks; our aim was to understand the effect of typical stellar flybys on planetary (debris) disks in the Milky Way Galaxy. For the solar neighborhood, we examined nearby stars with known distance, proper motions, and radial velocities. We found occurrence of a disturbing impact to the solar planetary disk within the next 8 Myr to be highly unlikely; perturbations to the Oort cloud seem unlikely as well. Current knowledge of the full phase space of stars in the solar neighborhood, however, is rather poor; thus we cannot rule out the existence of a star that is more likely to approach than those for which we have complete kinematic information. We studied the effect of stellar encounters on planetary orbits within the habitable zones of stars in more crowded stellar environments, such as stellar clusters. We found that in open clusters habitable zones are not readily disrupted; this is true if they evaporate in less than 10(8) yr. For older clusters the results may not be the same. We specifically studied the case of Messier 67, one of the oldest open clusters known, and show the effect of this environment on debris disks. We also considered the conditions in globular clusters, the Galactic nucleus, and the Galactic bulge-bar. We calculated the probability of whether Oort clouds exist in these Galactic environments.

TRIPOLI-4® - MCNP5 ITER A-lite neutronic model benchmarking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaboulay, J.-C.; Cayla, P.-Y.; Fausser, C.; Lee, Y.-K.; Trama, J.-C.; Li-Puma, A.

2014-06-01

The aim of this paper is to present the capability of TRIPOLI-4®, the CEA Monte Carlo code, to model a large-scale fusion reactor with complex neutron source and geometry. In the past, numerous benchmarks were conducted for TRIPOLI-4® assessment on fusion applications. Experiments (KANT, OKTAVIAN, FNG) analysis and numerical benchmarks (between TRIPOLI-4® and MCNP5) on the HCLL DEMO2007 and ITER models were carried out successively. In this previous ITER benchmark, nevertheless, only the neutron wall loading was analyzed, its main purpose was to present MCAM (the FDS Team CAD import tool) extension for TRIPOLI-4®. Starting from this work a more extended benchmark has been performed about the estimation of neutron flux, nuclear heating in the shielding blankets and tritium production rate in the European TBMs (HCLL and HCPB) and it is presented in this paper. The methodology to build the TRIPOLI-4® A-lite model is based on MCAM and the MCNP A-lite model (version 4.1). Simplified TBMs (from KIT) have been integrated in the equatorial-port. Comparisons of neutron wall loading, flux, nuclear heating and tritium production rate show a good agreement between the two codes. Discrepancies are mainly included in the Monte Carlo codes statistical error.

Activation product transport in fusion reactors. [RAPTOR

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Klein, A.C.

1983-01-01

Activated corrosion and neutron sputtering products will enter the coolant and/or tritium breeding material of fusion reactor power plants and experiments and cause personnel access problems. Radiation levels around plant components due to these products will cause difficulties with maintenance and repair operations throughout the plant. Similar problems are experienced around fission reactor systems. The determination of the transport of radioactive corrosion and neutron sputtering products through the system is achieved using the computer code RAPTOR. This code calculates the mass transfer of a number of activation products based on the corrosion and sputtering rates through the system, the depositionmore » and release characteristics of various plant components, the neturon flux spectrum, as well as other plant parameters. RAPTOR assembles a system of first order linear differential equations into a matrix equation based upon the reactor system parameters. Included in the transfer matrix are the deposition and erosion coefficients, and the decay and activation data for the various plant nodes and radioactive isotopes. A source vector supplies the corrosion and neutron sputtering source rates. This matrix equation is then solved using a matrix operator technique to give the specific activity distribution of each radioactive species throughout the plant. Once the amount of mass transfer is determined, the photon transport due to the radioactive corrosion and sputtering product sources can be evaluated, and dose rates around the plant components of interest as a function of time can be determined. This method has been used to estimate the radiation hazards around a number of fusion reactor system designs.« less

Optimization of the Efficiency of a Neutron Detector to Measure (α, n) Reaction Cross-Section

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perello, Jesus; Montes, Fernando; Ahn, Tony; Meisel, Zach; Joint InstituteNuclear Astrophysics Team

2015-04-01

Nucleosynthesis, the origin of elements, is one of the greatest mysteries in physics. A recent particular nucleosynthesis process of interest is the charge-particle process (cpp). In the cpp, elements form by nuclear fusion reactions during supernovae. This process of nuclear fusion, (α,n), will be studied by colliding beam elements produced and accelerated at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL) to a helium-filled cell target. The elements will fuse with α (helium nuclei) and emit neutrons during the reaction. The neutrons will be detected for a count of fused-elements, thus providing us the probability of such reactions. The neutrons will be detected using the Neutron Emission Ratio Observer (NERO). Currently, NERO's efficiency varies for neutrons at the expected energy range (0-12 MeV). To study (α,n), NERO's efficiency must be near-constant at these energies. Monte-Carlo N-Particle Transport Code (MCNP6), a software package that simulates nuclear processes, was used to optimize NERO configuration for the experiment. MCNP6 was used to simulate neutron interaction with different NERO configurations at the expected neutron energies. By adding additional 3He detectors and polyethylene, a near-constant efficiency at these energies was obtained in the simulations. With the new NERO configuration, study of the (α,n) reactions can begin, which may explain how elements are formed in the cpp. SROP MSU, NSF, JINA, McNair Society.

Deuterium-tritium neutron yield measurements with the 4.5 m neutron-time-of-flight detectors at NIF.

PubMed

Moran, M J; Bond, E J; Clancy, T J; Eckart, M J; Khater, H Y; Glebov, V Yu

2012-10-01

The first several campaigns of laser fusion experiments at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) included a family of high-sensitivity scintillator∕photodetector neutron-time-of-flight (nTOF) detectors for measuring deuterium-deuterium (DD) and DT neutron yields. The detectors provided consistent neutron yield (Y(n)) measurements from below 10(9) (DD) to nearly 10(15) (DT). The detectors initially demonstrated detector-to-detector Y(n) precisions better than 5%, but lacked in situ absolute calibrations. Recent experiments at NIF now have provided in situ DT yield calibration data that establish the absolute sensitivity of the 4.5 m differential tissue harmonic imaging (DTHI) detector with an accuracy of ± 10% and precision of ± 1%. The 4.5 m nTOF calibration measurements also have helped to establish improved detector impulse response functions and data analysis methods, which have contributed to improving the accuracy of the Y(n) measurements. These advances have also helped to extend the usefulness of nTOF measurements of ion temperature and downscattered neutron ratio (neutron yield 10-12 MeV divided by yield 13-15 MeV) with other nTOF detectors.

Absolute calibration of neutron detectors on the C-2U advanced beam-driven FRC.

PubMed

Magee, R M; Clary, R; Korepanov, S; Jauregui, F; Allfrey, I; Garate, E; Valentine, T; Smirnov, A

2016-11-01

In the C-2U fusion energy experiment, high power neutral beam injection creates a large fast ion population that sustains a field-reversed configuration (FRC) plasma. The diagnosis of the fast ion pressure in these high-performance plasmas is therefore critical, and the measurement of the flux of neutrons from the deuterium-deuterium (D-D) fusion reaction is well suited to the task. Here we describe the absolute, in situ calibration of scintillation neutron detectors via two independent methods: firing deuterium beams into a high density gas target and calibration with a 2 × 10 7 n/s AmBe source. The practical issues of each method are discussed and the resulting calibration factors are shown to be in good agreement. Finally, the calibration factor is applied to C-2U experimental data where the measured neutron rate is found to exceed the classical expectation.

Stellar, Remnant, Planetary, and Dark-Object Masses from Astrometric Microlensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gould, Andrew P.; Bennett, David P.; Boden, Andrew; Depoy, Darren L.; Gaudi, Scott B.; Griest, Kim; Han, Cheongho; Paczynski, Bohdan; Reid, I. Neill

2004-01-01

The primary goal of our project is to make a complete census of the stellar population of the Galaxy. We are broadening the term stellar here to include both ordinary stars and dark stars. Ordinary stars, burning their nuclear fuel and shining, can perhaps best be studied with traditional astronomical techniques, but dark stars, by which we include old brown dwarfs, black holes, old white dwarfs, neutron stars, and perhaps exotic objects such as mirror matter stars or primordial black holes, can only be studied by their gravitational effects. Traditionally, these objects have been probed in binaries, and thus selected in a way that may or may not be representative of their respective field populations. The only way to examine the field population of these stars is through microlensing, the deflection of light from a visible star in the background by an object (dark or not) in the foreground. When lensed, there are two images of the background star. Although these images cannot be resolved when the lens has a stellar mass, the lensing effect can be detected in two ways: photometrically, i.e. by measuring the magnification of the source by the lens, and astrometrically, i.e. by measuring the shift in the centroid of the two images. Photometric microlensing experiments have detected hundreds of microlensing events over the past decade. Despite its successes, photometric microlensing has so far been somewhat frustrating because these events are difficult to interpret. Almost nothing is known about the masses of individual lenses and very little is known about the statistical properties of the lenses treated as a whole, such as their average mass. Although probably over 100 of the lenses are in fact dark objects, we can't determine which they are, let alone investigate finer details such as what their masses are, and where they are in the Galaxy. With SIM, we will break the microlensing degeneracy, and allow detailed interpretation of individual microlensing events. We