Neutron and plasma irradiations of fusion reactor materials using fusion plasma neutron sources

Abstract

A compact and steady-state DT plasma with parameters relevant to a fusion-reactor, the FEF (fusion engineering facility), has been considered as a neutron source for the development of fusion reactor materials providing both. (1) 14 MeV fusion neutron irradiation testing, and (2) high charged particle flux for testing of plasma-facing materials during neutron irradiation. The 14 MeV neutron wall loading is about 1–2 MW/m 2, with a test section area of 1 m 2. One version of the test section is near the edge of the plasma in the vacuum chamber. Another is for high heat flux testing of plasma facing materials, where the charged particle flux leads to heat loads of several 10 kW/cm 2. New versions of FEF, with localized high neutron fluxes, are also proposed by introducing a sloshing ion distribution into the plasma.