Investigation of a Cherenkov-based gamma-ray diagnostic for measurement of 17 MeV gamma-rays from T(D, γ)5He in magnetic confinement fusion plasmas

Autor: Putignano O., Croci G., Muraro A., Cancelli S., Giacomelli L., Gorini G., Grosso G., Kushoro M. H., Marcer G., Nocente M., Rebai M., Tardocchi M.
Přispěvatelé: Putignano, O, Croci, G, Muraro, A, Cancelli, S, Giacomelli, L, Gorini, G, Grosso, G, Kushoro, M, Marcer, G, Nocente, M, Rebai, M, Tardocchi, M
Rok vydání: 2022
Předmět:
Zdroj: Journal of instrumentation 17 (2022): C02021-1–C02021-10. doi:10.1088/1748-0221/17/02/C02021
info:cnr-pdr/source/autori:Putignano O.; Croci G.; Muraro A.; Cancelli S.; Giacomelli L.; Gorini G.; Grosso G.; Kushoro M.H.; Marcer G.; Nocente M.; Rebai M.; Tardocchi M./titolo:Investigation of a Cherenkov-based gamma-ray diagnostic for measurement of 17 MeV gamma-rays from T(D, gamma)5 He in magnetic confinement fusion plasmas/doi:10.1088%2F1748-0221%2F17%2F02%2FC02021/rivista:Journal of instrumentation/anno:2022/pagina_da:C02021-1/pagina_a:C02021-10/intervallo_pagine:C02021-1–C02021-10/volume:17
ISSN: 1748-0221
DOI: 10.1088/1748-0221/17/02/c02021
Popis: At present, the only method for assessing the fusion power throughput of a reactor relies on the absolute measurement of 14 MeV neutrons produced in the D-T nuclear reaction. For ITER and DEMO, however, at least another independent measurement of the fusion power is required. The 5He* nucleus produced in the D-T fusion reaction has two de-excitation channels. The most likely is its disintegration in an alpha particle and a neutron, D + T → 5He* → α + n, by means of the nuclear force. There is however also an electromagnetic channel, with a branching ratio ∼10−5, which leads to the emission of a 17 MeV gamma-ray, i.e. D + T → 5He* → 5He + γ. The detection of this gamma-ray emission could serve as an independent method to determine the fusion power. In order to enable 17 MeV gamma-ray measurements, there is need for a detector with some coarse energy discrimination and, most importantly, capable of working in a neutron-rich environment. Conventional inorganic scintillators, such as LaBr3(Ce), have comparable efficiencies to neutrons and gamma-rays and they cannot be used for 17 MeV gamma-ray measurements without significant neutron shielding. In order to overcome this limitation, we here propose the conceptual design of a gamma-ray counter with a variable energy threshold based on the Cherenkov effect and designed to operate in intense neutron fields. The detector geometry has been optimized using Geant4 so to achieve a gamma-ray to neutron efficiency ratio better than 105. The design is based on a gas Cherenkov detector and the photo-sensor is still to investigated.
Databáze: OpenAIRE