Ion Temperature Inference from Neutron Counting in Maxwellian Deuterium Plasmas

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Radich, Allison J., Grecu, Vlad, Carle, Patrick J. F., Hildebrand, Myles, Howard, Stephen J., McNally, Colin P., Reynolds, Meritt, Rohollahi, Akbar, Underwood, Ryan E., Weinstein, Sara
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Radich, Allison J.
Grecu, Vlad
Carle, Patrick J. F.
Hildebrand, Myles
Howard, Stephen J.
McNally, Colin P.
Reynolds, Meritt
Rohollahi, Akbar
Underwood, Ryan E.
Weinstein, Sara
author_facet Radich, Allison J.
Grecu, Vlad
Carle, Patrick J. F.
Hildebrand, Myles
Howard, Stephen J.
McNally, Colin P.
Reynolds, Meritt
Rohollahi, Akbar
Underwood, Ryan E.
Weinstein, Sara
contents A method is presented for inferring the deuterium fuel ion temperature from neutron counts measured with fast liquid scintillators in conditions where the ion velocity distribution is Maxwellian. Local neutron count rates at each scintillator position are combined to estimate total neutron yield from the plasma, where absolute detection efficiency is determined via MCNP neutron scattering simulation based on a 3D model of the experiment structure. This method is particularly advantageous for Magnetized Target Fusion applications as it yields a time-resolved diagnostic and does not require direct line-of-sight to the plasma or collimation of the neutrons. The instrumentation configuration, pulse-shape discrimination and pile-up correction algorithms, detector calibration, and ion temperature calculation method with uncertainty characterization are discussed. An application of the method to General Fusion's Plasma Injector~3 (PI3) spherical tokamak device is demonstrated and the results are compared to an Ion Doppler spectroscopy ion temperature diagnostic.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2601_01566
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Ion Temperature Inference from Neutron Counting in Maxwellian Deuterium Plasmas
Radich, Allison J.
Grecu, Vlad
Carle, Patrick J. F.
Hildebrand, Myles
Howard, Stephen J.
McNally, Colin P.
Reynolds, Meritt
Rohollahi, Akbar
Underwood, Ryan E.
Weinstein, Sara
Instrumentation and Detectors
Applied Physics
Plasma Physics
A method is presented for inferring the deuterium fuel ion temperature from neutron counts measured with fast liquid scintillators in conditions where the ion velocity distribution is Maxwellian. Local neutron count rates at each scintillator position are combined to estimate total neutron yield from the plasma, where absolute detection efficiency is determined via MCNP neutron scattering simulation based on a 3D model of the experiment structure. This method is particularly advantageous for Magnetized Target Fusion applications as it yields a time-resolved diagnostic and does not require direct line-of-sight to the plasma or collimation of the neutrons. The instrumentation configuration, pulse-shape discrimination and pile-up correction algorithms, detector calibration, and ion temperature calculation method with uncertainty characterization are discussed. An application of the method to General Fusion's Plasma Injector~3 (PI3) spherical tokamak device is demonstrated and the results are compared to an Ion Doppler spectroscopy ion temperature diagnostic.
title Ion Temperature Inference from Neutron Counting in Maxwellian Deuterium Plasmas
topic Instrumentation and Detectors
Applied Physics
Plasma Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.01566