Inertial confinement fusion ion temperature measurements using a single-hit detector array

Abstract

Neutron time-of-flight techniques have been used to diagnose fuel ion temperatures of inertial confinement fusion plasmas. A new technique for making this measurement using an array of ‘‘single-hit’’ detectors operating in single-particle counting mode is described. This technique has some potential advantages over previous methods (faster timing, better energy resolution, good sensitivity) and can possibly be further developed to allow detailed measurements of neutron energy spectra to give other diagnostic information, such as fuel areal density (〈ρR〉).