Implementation of the foil-on-hohlraum technique for the magnetic recoil spectrometer for time-resolved neutron measurements at the National Ignition Facility.

The next-generation Magnetic Recoil Spectrometer, called MRSt, will provide time-resolved measurements of the deuterium-tritium-neutron spectrum from inertial confinement fusion implosions at the National Ignition Facility. These measurements will provide critical information about the time evolution of the fuel assembly, hot-spot formation, and nuclear burn. The absolute neutron spectrum in the energy range of 12-16 MeV will be measured with high accuracy (∼5%), unprecedented energy resolution (∼100 keV) and, for the first time ever, time resolution (∼20 ps). Crucial to the design of the system is a CD conversion foil for the production of recoil deuterons positioned as close to the implosion as possible. The foil-on-hohlraum technique has been demonstrated by placing a 1-mm-diameter, 40-µm-thick CD foil on the hohlraum diagnostic band along the line-of-sight of the current time-integrated MRS system, which measured the recoil deuterons. In addition to providing validation of the foil-on-hohlraum technique for the MRSt design, substantial improvement of the MRS energy resolution has been demonstrated.

Signal and background considerations for the MRSt on the National Ignition Facility (NIF).

A Magnetic Recoil Spectrometer (MRSt) has been conceptually designed for time-resolved measurements of the neutron spectrum at the National Ignition Facility. Using the MRSt, the goals are to measure the time-evolution of the spectrum with a time resolution of ∼20-ps and absolute accuracy better than 5%. To meet these goals, a detailed understanding and optimization of the signal and background characteristics are required. Through ion-optics, MCNP simulations, and detector-response calculations, it is demonstrated that the goals and a signal-to background >5-10 for the down-scattered neutron measurement are met if the background, consisting of ambient neutrons and gammas, at the MRSt is reduced 50-100 times.

A stretch/compress scheme for a high temporal resolution detector for the magnetic recoil spectrometer time (MRSt).

A time-resolved detector concept for the magnetic recoil spectrometer for time-resolved measurements of the NIF neutron spectrum is presented. The measurement is challenging due to the time spreading of the recoil protons (or deuterons) as they transit an energy dispersing magnet system. Ions arrive at the focal plane of the magnetic spectrometer over an interval of tens of nanoseconds. We seek to measure the time-resolved neutron spectrum with 20 ps precision by manipulating an electron signal derived from the ions. A stretch-compress scheme is employed to remove transit time skewing while simultaneously reducing the bandwidth requirements for signal recording. Simulation results are presented along with design concepts for structures capable of establishing the required electromagnetic fields.

The magnetic recoil spectrometer (MRSt) for time-resolved measurements of the neutron spectrum at the National Ignition Facility (NIF).

The next-generation magnetic recoil spectrometer for time-resolved measurements of the neutron spectrum has been conceptually designed for the National Ignition Facility. This spectrometer, called MRSt, represents a paradigm shift in our thinking about neutron spectrometry for inertial confinement fusion applications, as it will provide simultaneously information about the burn history and time evolution of areal density (ρR), apparent ion temperature (Ti), yield (Yn), and macroscopic flows during burn. From this type of data, an assessment of the evolution of the fuel assembly, hotspot, and alpha heating can be made. According to simulations, the MRSt will provide accurate data with a time resolution of ∼20 ps and energy resolution of ∼100 keV for total neutron yields above ∼1016. At lower yields, the diagnostic will be operated at a higher-efficiency, lower-energy-resolution mode to provide a time resolution of ∼20 ps.