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Published on: December 14, 2017
Charged fusion product loss measurements using nuclear activation
G Bonheure1, M Hult, R González de Orduña
1Laboratory for Plasma Physics, Association Euratom-Belgian State, Royal Military Academy, Avenue de la Renaissance, 30 Kunstherlevinglaan, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium. georges.bonheure@rma.ac.be
The Review of Scientific Instruments
|November 9, 2010
Summary
Nuclear activation effectively measures escaping MeV ions, crucial for understanding fusion physics in ITER. This technique shows anisotropic product distribution, vital for future fusion reactor diagnostics.
Area of Science:
- Nuclear physics
- Plasma physics
- Fusion energy research
Background:
- Understanding alpha particle physics in ITER requires accurate loss measurements.
- Current techniques for fusion reactor environments need enhancement.
- Nuclear activation showed promise in JET experiments for MeV ion flux measurement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report new results on MeV ion induced activation using various sample types near the plasma edge.
- To investigate the angular and spatial distribution of activation products.
- To assess the feasibility of nuclear activation for ITER diagnostics.
Main Methods:
- Activation of metallic, ceramic, and crystal samples by MeV ions.
- Measurement of activation products as a function of sample orientation and distance to plasma.
- Utilizing ultralow-level gamma-ray spectrometry for activity measurement.
- Comparison of experimental results with simulations for 14.68 MeV proton-induced activation.
Main Results:
- Fusion proton-induced activation products exhibit strong anisotropy, aligning with simulations.
- Activation product distribution decreases sharply with increasing distance from the plasma.
- Successful measurement of activation products in diverse sample materials.
Conclusions:
- Nuclear activation is a viable technique for measuring escaping MeV ions in fusion reactors.
- The anisotropic nature of activation products provides valuable diagnostic information.
- Further development and application in ITER are promising for alpha particle physics studies.
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