Neutron reactions in the hohlraum at the LLNL National Ignition Facility

P. A. Bradley, G. P. Grim, A. C. Hayes, Gerard Jungman, R. S. Rundberg, J. B. Wilhelmy, G. M. Hale, and R. C. Korzekwa
Phys. Rev. C 86, 014617 – Published 25 July 2012

Abstract

The National Ignition Facility (NIF) is designed to drive deuterium-tritium (DT) inertial confinement fusion targets to ignition using indirect radiation from laser energy captured in a hohlraum. The projected yields at NIF suggest that interactions of neutrons with the hohlraum can directly probe the neutron spectrum. Different physical parameters of the burning capsule can be probed by different neutron reactions. We suggest a variety of neutron reactions on the gold and uranium present in National Ignition Campaign hohlraums that will be useful for both neutron diagnostics and dosimetry at the NIF. The radiochemical daughter products may then be used to infer the neutron spectrum from the capsule. The downscattered neutrons may be studied by the (n,γ) and (n,n) reactions to infer the areal density of the capsule. The 14 MeV neutron fluence may be measured by (n,2n) daughter products for comparison to neutron spectrometer data. The hydrodynamical mix in the capsule can be studied with RIF neutrons, which are probed by (n,3n) reactions.

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  • Received 27 January 2012

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.86.014617

©2012 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

P. A. Bradley, G. P. Grim, A. C. Hayes, Gerard Jungman, R. S. Rundberg, J. B. Wilhelmy, and G. M. Hale

  • Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA

R. C. Korzekwa

  • Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA and Department of Physics, University of Texas, Austin, Texas 78712, USA

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Vol. 86, Iss. 1 — July 2012

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