First downscattered neutron images from Inertial Confinement Fusion experiments at the National Ignition Facility

¹ Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA
² Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, PO Box 808, Livermore, CA 94550, USA
³ National Security Technologies, Las Vegas, NV 89193, USA

^a e-mail: nguler@lanl.gov

Published online: 15 November 2013

Abstract

Inertial Confinement Fusion experiments at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) are designed to understand and test the basic principles of self-sustaining fusion reactions by laser driven compression of deuterium-tritium (DT) filled cryogenic plastic (CH) capsules. The experimental campaign is ongoing to tune the implosions and characterize the burning plasma conditions. Nuclear diagnostics play an important role in measuring the characteristics of these burning plasmas, providing feedback to improve the implosion dynamics. The Neutron Imaging (NI) diagnostic provides information on the distribution of the central fusion reaction region and the surrounding DT fuel by collecting images at two different energy bands for primary (13–15 MeV) and downscattered (10–12 MeV) neutrons. From these distributions, the final shape and size of the compressed capsule can be estimated and the symmetry of the compression can be inferred. The first downscattered neutron images from imploding ICF capsules are shown in this paper.