Threshold bubble chamber for measurement of knock-on DT neutron tails from magnetic and inertial confinement experiments

We propose a new ''threshold'' bubble chamber detector for measurement of knock-on neutron tails. These energetic neutrons result from fusion reactions involving energetic fuel ions created by alpha knock-on collisions in tokamak and other magnetic confinement experiments, and by both alpha and neutron knock-on collisions in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experiments. The energy spectrum of these neutrons will yield information on the alpha population and energy distribution in tokamaks, and on alpha target physics and rho R measurements in ICF experiments. The bubble chamber should only detect neutrons with energies above a selectable threshold energy controlled by the bubble chamber pressure. The bubble chamber threshold mechanism, detection efficiency, and proposed applications to the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor and National Ignition Facility experiments will be discussed. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.