A Gas Cerenkov Detector For Measuring 16.7 MeV Gamma Rays From The D(T,Y)5He Reaction

J. E . Brolley; J. S. Ladish; P. B. Lyons; J. M . Mack; J. W. Toevs; C. S. Young; S. G. Iversen; P. E. Nash; P. A. Zagarino; L. Jennings

doi:10.1117/12.934774

7 November 1983 A Gas Cerenkov Detector For Measuring 16.7 MeV Gamma Rays From The D(T,Y)5He Reaction

J. E . Brolley, J. S. Ladish, P. B. Lyons, J. M . Mack, J. W. Toevs, C. S. Young, S. G. Iversen, P. E. Nash, P. A. Zagarino, L. Jennings

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 0380, Los Alamos Conf on Optics '83; (1983) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.934774
Event: Los Alamos Conference on Optics, 1983, New Mexico, United States

Abstract

A gas Cerenkov detector has been developed for measuring radiation from the 16.7-MeV gamma branch of the D-T reaction. This has useful applications as a diagnostic tool for weapons tests at the Nevada Test Site (NTS), as well as for evaluation of ICF targets and Tokomak plasmas. The Cerenkov process was chosen because of excellent time response. A gas radiator allows threshold control to eliminate low energy background, such as gamma radiation produced by a neutron capture or scattering. The detector consists of a thin aluminum converter to provide energetic pair and compton electrons, a deflecting magnet, a Cerenkov radiator, and an optical system for collection and detection of Cerenkov light. The radiator is a gas chamber filled with approximately one atmosphere of carbon dioxide. A photodiode is used for light detection. The electron beam from the DOE/EG&G electron linear accelerator at EG&G's Santa Barbara Operations has been used to measure the detector response as functions of electron energy and gas pressure. A Monte Carlo production-transport code is used to calculate geometrical properties of the pair and Compton electron distributions as they enter the Cerenkov radiator. Fluorescence, transition radiation, and other optical backgrounds produced by subthreshold electrons are being evaluated in order to optimize the detector design.

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J. E . Brolley, J. S. Ladish, P. B. Lyons, J. M . Mack, J. W. Toevs, C. S. Young, S. G. Iversen, P. E. Nash, P. A. Zagarino, and L. Jennings "A Gas Cerenkov Detector For Measuring 16.7 MeV Gamma Rays From The D(T,Y)5He Reaction", Proc. SPIE 0380, Los Alamos Conf on Optics '83, (7 November 1983); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.934774

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