A conceptual project for a divertor monitor of the neutron yield in the ITER

The operating conditions of a neutron diagnostic system responsible for measuring the neutron yield in the ITER tokamak reactor are analyzed. Based on results of physical calculations and analysis of suitable methods for measuring the neutron yield, an original concept of a system for measuring neutron fluxed in the divertor zone of the ITER is proposed. The design for the neutron flux monitor located in the divertor zone of the tokamak is selected in view of the requirements specified for the neutron diagnostic system of the ITER and its operating conditions. Four fission chambers with different sensitivities and radiator materials are used as sensitive elements of the monitor. This system is capable of measuring neutron fluxes over the entire dynamic range of the neutron yield in the ITER with an error of ≤10% and a time resolution of 1 ms that are necessary for studying the physical mechanism of thermonuclear plasma ignition and burning. Several possible variants for housing the detector unit inside the divertor assembly and integrating it in the existing project are proposed. The problems of carrying out efficiency calibration of the divertor neutron monitor with the aim of determining the absolute value of the neutron yield in the ITER tokamak reactor are discussed.     

Progress in the conceptual development of the ITER vertical neutron collimator

Monte-Carlo calculations of the fluxes of forward and scattered neutrons at points of arrangement of the detectors for the analyzed design of the ITER multichannel vertical neutron collimator have been performed with the MCNP model. A concept of a vertical neutron collimator positioned in the diverter port is proposed, and the efficiency of its application for determining the spatial distribution of the ITER tokamak reactor’s neutron source is demonstrated with allowance for the calculation results and the possibilities of integrating the collimator into the ITER structure.     

Effect of neutron irradiation on the electrodes of a vacuum photoemission detector

The effect of neutron irradiation on Ta-Be photocathodes of a vacuum photoemission detector (VPD) has been investigated. The VPD has been designed for tomography of plasmas using thermal X-ray radiation on the ITER international tokamak reactor. The exposure of VPD electrode samples to neutrons with a fluence of 1.6 × 10¹⁹ neutrons/cm² (E > 0.1 MeV) is shown to change the relative concentration of Ta and Be in the surface layer. As a result, the detector sensitivity in the DT operating mode of the ITER is inevitably altered. Some recommendations concerning selection of materials for the VPD electrodes are presented. The conclusion is drawn that sputtering by thermonuclear neutrons in the ITER may lead to deposition of a conductive film on the insulator surface and that a special shape of insulators must be therefore used to avoid formation of such a coating.     

Testing the neutron attenuator based on <Superscript>6</Superscript>LiH for γ-ray diagnostics of plasmas in the JET tokamak

A ⁶LiH attenuator of a neutron flux incident on a detector is used to reduce the γ-ray background induced by neutrons in the detector material. This attenuator has been tested during experiments with deuterium (DD) plasmas on the JET tokamak. A specimen of the neutron attenuator with dimensions of ?30 × 300 mm has been developed by the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Ioffe Physico-Technical Institute and inserted into a vertical collimator used for γ spectrometry of plasmas. To compare γ-ray spectra recorded with and without the ⁶LiH attenuator being mounted, identical discharges with heating of the DD plasma by a neutral particle beam have been selected. For γ rays with energies of <3 MeV, which are induced by neutrons in the detector material, the suppression factor is found to be ～100. A low attenuation (～2) observed at energies of >3 MeV can be attributed to the transparency of the ⁶LiH attenuator for γ rays. This portion of the spectrum is due to γ radiation of the plasma and γ rays induced by neutrons in the constructional materials of the tokamak. To estimate the efficiency of the ⁶LiH attenuators as a mandatory component of the ITER γ-ray diagnostic system, it is necessary that measurements be taken in deuterium-tritium (DT) discharges.     

Radiation-tolerant X- and γ-ray detectors

Radiation-tolerant X-ray detectors capable of operating in vacuum, a low-voltage ionization chamber, and a γ detector, as well as a noise compensation system allowing location of all electronic devices at a distance of at least 70 m from the detectors, are described. Owing to the simplicity of their design, these detectors can be adapted for any specific conditions. These detectors are intended for operation in high- intensity γ-ray and neutron fields; in particular, they can be used on the ITER tokamak reactor.     

Measurements of the internal magnetic field using the B-Stark motional Stark effect diagnostic on DIII-D (inivited)

Results are presented from the B-Stark diagnostic installed on the DIII-D tokamak. This diagnostic provides measurements of the magnitude and direction of the internal magnetic field. The B-Stark system is a version of a motional Stark effect (MSE) diagnostic based on the relative line intensities and spacing of the Stark split D(α) emission from injected neutral beams. This technique may have advantages over MSE polarimetry based diagnostics in future devices, such as the ITER. The B-Stark diagnostic technique and calibration procedures are discussed. The system is shown to provide accurate measurements of B(θ)/B(T) and ∣B∣ over a range of plasma conditions. Measurements have been made with toroidal fields in the range of 1.2-2.1 T, plasma currents in the range 0.5-2.0 MA, densities between 1.7 and 9.0×10(19)?m(-3), and neutral beam voltages between 50 and 81 keV. The viewing direction and polarization dependent transmission properties of the collection optics are found using an in situ beam into gas calibration. These results are compared to values found from plasma equilibrium reconstructions and the MSE polarimetry system on DIII-D.     

A method for monitoring the parameters of a stripping target in neutral particle analyzers for the ITER

A method is described, which will be used as a basis for designing a system for monitoring the parameters of a stripping target in neutral particle analyzers being developed for neutral particle diagnostics of the ITER plasma. This method is based on examining the target by a beam of alkali ions and measuring the energy spectrum of the beam passed through it. Results of testing of this method at the experimental facility—a model of the monitoring system—are presented. Based on analysis of the experimental data obtained in the study, conclusions are drawn on the applicability of this method to monitoring of the stripping target parameters.     

The development of the radio frequency driven negative ion source for neutral beam injectors (invited)

Large and powerful negative hydrogen ion sources are required for the neutral beam injection (NBI) systems of future fusion devices. Simplicity and maintenance-free operation favors RF sources, which are developed intensively at the Max-Planck-Institut fu?r Plasmaphysik (IPP) since many years. The negative hydrogen ions are generated by caesium-enhanced surface conversion of atoms and positive ions on the plasma grid surface. With a small scale prototype the required high ion current density and the low fraction of co-extracted electrons at low pressure as well as stable pulses up to 1 h could be demonstrated. The modular design allows extension to large source dimensions. This has led to the decision to choose RF sources for the NBI of the international fusion reactor, ITER. As an intermediate step towards the full size ITER source at IPP, the development will be continued with a half-size source on the new ELISE testbed. This will enable to gain experience for the first time with negative hydrogen ion beams from RF sources of these dimensions.     

A prototype of the centrifugal pellet injector for the ITER tokamak

A continuous action injector of solid hydrogen pellets with a centrifugal accelerator and a screw extruder is described. Over a long period of time (>3 h), the injector is capable of continuously forming with a 1-Hz frequency solid hydrogen pellets ～2.5 mm in diameter and accelerating them to a velocity of 100–500 m/s with a reliability of >95%. The characteristics of the injector meet the requirements to the ITER tokamak.     

Charged fusion product loss measurements using nuclear activation

In ITER, α particle loss measurements will be required in order to understand the alpha particle physics. Techniques capable of operating in a fusion reactor environment need further development. Recent experimental studies on JET demonstrated the potential of nuclear activation to measure the flux of escaping MeV ions. New results from MeV ion induced activation of metallic, ceramic, and crystal samples placed near the plasma edge are reported. Activation products were measured as function of orientation with respect to the magnetic field as well as function of the distance to the plasma. Sample activity was measured using ultralow-level gamma-ray spectrometry. Distribution of 14.68 MeV fusion proton induced activation products is strongly anisotropic in agreement with simulations and falls off sharply with increasing distance to the plasma. Prospects for using the technique in ITER are discussed.     

Development of a technique for high-speed γ-ray spectrometry

A technique for high-speed γ-ray spectrometry was developed for γ-ray diagnostic experiments on the ITER tokamak and tested at the Ioffe Physico-Technical Institute on the cyclotron and the GLOBUS-M and TUMAN-3M tokamaks. This technique was used to upgrade the γ-ray diagnostic system of the JET tokamak. It was shown by the tests that the new technique compares favorably to the traditional one in that it allows the limiting counting rate of the spectrometer to be increased by at least an order of magnitude without noticeable deterioration of its energy resolution.     

Active spectroscopic measurements using the ITER diagnostic system

Active (beam-based) spectroscopic measurements are intended to provide a number of crucial parameters for the ITER device being built in Cadarache, France. These measurements include the determination of impurity ion temperatures, absolute densities, and velocity profiles, as well as the determination of the plasma current density profile. Because ITER will be the first experiment to study long timescale (～1?h) fusion burn plasmas, of particular interest is the ability to study the profile of the thermalized helium ash resulting from the slowing down and confinement of the fusion alphas. These measurements will utilize both the 1 MeV heating neutral beams and a dedicated 100 keV hydrogen diagnostic neutral beam. A number of separate instruments are being designed and built by several of the ITER partners to meet the different spectroscopic measurement needs and to provide the maximum physics information. In this paper, we describe the planned measurements, the intended diagnostic ensemble, and we will discuss specific physics and engineering challenges for these measurements in ITER.     

Progress in the MITICA beam source design

In the framework of the development of the ITER neutral beam (NB) system, a test facility is planned to be built in Padova. A full size prototype of the ITER heating NB injector (MITICA) shall be built and tested at full beam power (17 MW) as per ITER requirements. The design of the MITICA beam source has further progressed following updated optimization and overall integration criteria. In the paper, the major design choices and revisions are presented, together with some results of numerical analyses carried out in order to assess the electrostatic and thermo-mechanical behaviour of the source.     

Neutron Spectrum Measurements in the Vertical Channel of the IR-8 Research Reactor

Experimental results of neutron spectrum and neutron flux measurements in a dry vertical channel of the IR-8 research nuclear reactor at the Kurchatov Institute Russian Research Center are presented. The data were obtained using five sets of various activation detectors. The spectrum was reconstructed using the KASKAD computational program used in the method of integral neutron detectors. The results obtained make it possible to optimally plan the experiments on the irradiation and study of the radiation stability of various elements of the diagnostic systems of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) in the new irradiation channel of the IR-8 research reactor.     

A Large-Scale Prototype of a Tritium Pellet Injector for the ITER International Tokamak

An injector of solid tritium pellets (as well as those of deuterium and protium) satisfying the basic requirements of the ITER tokamak is developed. The main elements of the injector are a screw extruder ensuring the continuous formation of pellets from a solid thermonuclear fuel and a fuel duct compatible with tritium handling and environmental safety requirements. The design, technological, and performance characteristics of the injector are presented. The results of experimental adjustment of the extrusion and protium-pellet pneumatic acceleration modes are described. A solid-protium rod with a rectangular cross section of 3 × 4 mm² was continuously extruded at a temperature of 10–11 K for 1500 s at a velocity of 20–25 mm/s. Pellets with a size of 3–3.5 mm formed from the rod were accelerated by helium at a pressure of 1 MPa up to a speed of 300–500 m/s in the periodic mode at a frequency of 1–6 Hz.     

Neutron spectroscopy results of JET high-performance plasmas and extrapolations to DT performance

In a fusion reactor with high energy gain, the fusion power will be mainly thermonuclear (THN). Measurements of the THN neutron rate are a good performance indicator of a fusion plasma, requiring neutron emission spectroscopy (NES) measurements to distinguish thermal and nonthermal contributions. We report here on recent NES results from JET high-performance plasmas with high fractions (about 65%) of THN emission. The analysis is made with a framework for analyzing NES data, taking into account THN reactions and beam-target reactions. The results are used to extrapolate to the equivalent DT rates. Finally, we discuss the applicability of using NES in the deuterium phase of ITER, both for the extrapolations to ITER’s future DT performance as well as for the measurements of confined energetic ions.     

First plasma of megawatt high current ion source for neutral beam injector of the experimental advanced superconducting tokamak on the test bed

High current ion source is the key part of the neutral beam injector. In order to develop the project of 4 MW neutral beam injection for the experimental advanced superconducting tokamak (EAST) on schedule, the megawatt high current ion source is prestudied in the Institute of Plasma Physics in China. In this paper, the megawatt high current ion source test bed and the first plasma are presented. The high current discharge of 900 A at 2 s and long pulse discharge of 5 s at 680 A are achieved. The arc discharge characteristic of high current ion source is analyzed primarily.     

The development of Campbell integration system applied in high particle flux measurement

Campbell Mode is a method widely used in nuclear signal processing. In this article, we introduce the design of the new system based on the Campbell integration measurement applied in NFM (neutron flux measurement) systems for ITER plasma diagnose. In this article, we introduce a digital particle flux measurement system based on Campbell integration theory. A subsequent series of experiment are conducted to test the digital Campbell system performance, which proves that the Campbell integration system is competent for the plasma diagnose in ITER.     

Neutron spectroscopy as a fuel ion ratio diagnostic: lessons from JET and prospects for ITER

The determination of the fuel ion ratio n(t)/n(d) in ITER is required at a precision of 20%, time resolution of 100 ms, spatial resolution of a/10, and over a range of 0.016?keV and for n(T)/n(D)<0.6. A crucial issue is the signal-to-background situation in the measurement of the weak 2.5 MeV emission from DD reactions in the presence of a background of scattered 14 MeV DT neutrons. Important experimental input and corroboration for this assessment are presented from the time-of-flight neutron spectrometer at JET where the presence of a strong component of backscattered neutrons is observed. Neutron emission components on ITER due to beam-thermal and tritium-tritium reactions can further enhance the prospects for NES.     

Irradiation tests of ITER candidate Hall sensors using two types of neutron spectra

We report on irradiation tests of InSb based Hall sensors at two irradiation facilities with two distinct types of neutron spectra. One was a fission reactor neutron spectrum with a significant presence of thermal neutrons, while another one was purely fast neutron field. Total neutron fluence of the order of 10(16)?cm(-2) was accumulated in both cases, leading to significant drop of Hall sensor sensitivity in case of fission reactor spectrum, while stable performance was observed at purely fast neutron spectrum. This finding suggests that performance of this particular type of Hall sensors is governed dominantly by transmutation. Additionally, it further stresses the need to test ITER candidate Hall sensors under neutron flux with ITER relevant spectrum.