An inertial confinement fusion plasma based cross-calibration of the deuterium-tritium γ-to-neutron branching ratio

ORAL

Abstract

The deuterium-tritium (D-T) γ-to-neutron branching ratio [3H(d,γ)5He/3H(d,n)4He] has been determined previously under inertial confinement fusion (ICF) conditions and in beam-target based experiments. In the former case, neutron-induced backgrounds are mitigated compared to the latter due to the short pulse nature of ICF implosions and the use of gas Cherenkov γ-ray detectors. An added benefit of ICF based measurements is the ability to achieve lower center of mass energies as compared to accelerators. Previous ICF based experiments however report a large uncertainty in the D-T γ-to-neutron branching ratio of ~48%, which arises from the necessity of an absolute detector calibration and/or a cross calibration against the D-3He γ-to-proton branching ratio. A more precise value for the branching ratio based on data taken at the OMEGA laser facility is reported here, which relies on a cross-calibration against the better known 12C neutron inelastic scattering cross section. A D-T branching ratio value of (4.81 ± 0.61) × 10−5 is determined by this method.

*This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344. LLNL-ABS-823873

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Publication: 1. An inertial confinement fusion plasma based cross-calibration of the deuterium-tritium γ-to-neutron branching ratio

Presenters

  • Justin Jeet

    • Lawrence Livermore Natl Lab
    • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Authors

  • Justin Jeet

    • Lawrence Livermore Natl Lab
    • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

  • Alex B Zylstra

    • Lawrence Livermore Natl Lab
    • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

  • Michael S Rubery

    • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
    • Lawrence Livermore Natl Lab
    • Lawrence Livermaore National Laboratory
    • LLNL

  • Yongho Kim

    • Los Alamos Natl Lab
    • Los Alamos National Lab
    • Los Alamos National Laboratory

  • Chad J Forrest

    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics
    • University of Rochester
    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics, U. of Rochester
    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester

  • Vladimir Y Glebov

    • Lab for Laser Energetics
    • University of Rochester
    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester

  • Colin J Horsfield

    • Atomic Weapons Establishment

  • Aaron M McEvoy

    • Los Alamos National Laboratory

  • Hans W Herrmann

    • Los Alamos Natl Lab