Data acquisition system with pulse height capability for the TOFED time-of-flight neutron spectrometer

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Fusion Engineering
• Plasma Diagnostics
• Neutron Spectroscopy

Background:

• Accurate measurement of neutron energy and time is crucial for understanding plasma behavior in fusion devices.
• Existing neutron spectrometers have limitations in resolution and count rate capabilities, hindering the study of fast phenomena.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel time-of-flight neutron spectrometer, TOFED, designed for the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST).
• To develop and validate a high-resolution data acquisition system for TOFED.
• To assess TOFED's capability in resolving fast ion signatures within the neutron spectrum.

Main Methods:

• Construction and installation of the TOFED spectrometer.
• Development of a data acquisition system integrating flight time and scintillator interaction data.
• Characterization of the system's digitizing and time resolution.

Main Results:

• The developed data acquisition system achieves a digitizing resolution better than 1.5%, significantly outperforming traditional methods (>10%).
• A time resolution of less than 1 nanosecond (<1 ns) was achieved.
• The system demonstrates compatibility with high count rate event recording, essential for fast transient phenomena.

Conclusions:

• The TOFED spectrometer, with its advanced data acquisition, provides unprecedented resolution for neutron spectrometry.
• This enhanced capability is vital for investigating fast ion behavior and other transient phenomena in EAST plasmas.
• TOFED is poised to significantly advance plasma diagnostics in fusion research.