학술논문

Diagnostic of Fusion Neutrons on EAST Tokamak Using 4H-SiC Detector
Document Type
Periodical
Source
IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci. Nuclear Science, IEEE Transactions on. 69(3):639-644 Mar, 2022
Subject
Nuclear Engineering
Bioengineering
Neutrons
Detectors
Plasmas
Tokamak devices
Temperature measurement
Polyethylene
Silicon carbide
4H-SiC detector
fusion neutron
neutron diagnostics
tokamak
Language
ISSN
0018-9499
1558-1578
Abstract
Due to significant radiation hardness, thermal properties, low sensitivity to gamma rays, and fast response, the 4H-SiC detector exhibits promising properties in measuring the neutron production in the high-power fusion devices. To demonstrate the potential value of the 4H-SiC detectors as a neutron flux monitor and a neutron spectrometer on experimentally advanced superconducting tokamak (EAST) during the 2021 EAST deuterium–deuterium plasma experimental campaigns, the 4H-SiC detector covered with a 25- $\mu \text{m}$ -thick 6 LiF film 95% enriched in 6 Li and the 4H-SiC detector covered with a 1.5-mm-thick polyethylene layer were installed on a viewport located at the mid-plane of port F outside the EAST vacuum vessel and operated continuously during the whole experimental campaign with the goal to measure both the total and the time-dependent neutron emission from the plasma. The results are compared with those obtained with detectors routinely working at EAST ( 235 U Fission Chambers). Despite their small active volumes, the 4H-SiC detectors were able to measure the total and the time-dependent neutron emission with good reliability and stability. The results of this work not only demonstrated the satisfactory performance of the 4H-SiC detector in the harsh environment of a mixed neutron–gamma high-radiation field and strong electromagnetic field, but also its applicability as a neutron spectrometer and a neutron flux monitor for fusion deuterium–plasma experiments.