Time-resolved secondary triton burnup 14 MeV neutron measurement by a new scintillating fiber detector in middle total neutron emission ranges in deuterium large helical device plasma experiments

Abstract

A middle-sensitivity scintillating fiber detector (hereafter middle Sci-Fi detector) that works at a deuterium-tritium neutron flux of ~10⁵-10⁷ cm⁻²s⁻¹ was utilized to measure secondary deuterium-tritium neutron emission rates with high temporal resolution at a total neutron emission rate of 10¹³ to 10¹⁵ n/s, where strong magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) instabilities were observed in the large helical device deuterium plasma experiments. The gain and angular characteristics of the middle Sci-Fi detector were evaluated in an accelerator-based deuterium-tritium neutron source in the intense 14 MeV neutron source facility at Osaka University. Observation of 1 MeV triton transport due to MHD instability was performed by a middle Sci-Fi detector whose deuterium-tritium neutron counting rate was approximately 20 times higher than that of the conventional Sci-Fi detector. Fusion-born triton transport due to energetic-particle-driven MHD instability was observed using the middle Sci-Fi detector due to its high detection efficiency and high discrimination ability of deuterium-tritium neutrons from the sea of deuterium-deuterium neutrons.