Diagnostic System for the Deuterium-Tritium Phase of the IGNITEX Experiment

A fusion ignition experiment will produce large numbers of neutrons and alpha particles. The detection and characterization of these particles will be important in understanding the physics of ignited plasmas. The methods for detection of neutrons are well developed, but detection and characterization of alpha particles may prove more difficult in a high-availability fusion ignition experiment. The proposed systems for the IGNITEX experiment are chosen to be simple and reliable. The systems include a foil absorption system for escaping alpha detection, a foil activation system for total neutron count, and a time-of-flight spectrometer for real-time neutron count and for neutron energy spectra.