Characterization of a Diamond Proton Recoil Telescope for DT Neutron Measurements in the LIBRA Experiment

Abstract

The LIBRA project investigates tritium breeding using beam-target style DT neutron generators to irradiate molten salt vessels. A critical aspect of understanding this process is the characterization of the energy and flux anisotropies within the neutron environment, which are inherent to the beam-target neutron generation method. These spectral and flux characteristics directly impact tritium production and the interpretation of experimental results, which makes the neutron field characterization essential for a complete understanding of the tritium breeding system. This paper presents the use of an sCVD diamond detector and an sCVD diamond proton recoil telescope to characterize the neutron environment produced by the DT neutron generator employed in the LIBRA experiments. The results of these measurements provide insight into the neutron flux and energy distributions incident on the breeding salt, enabling a more complete understanding of the neutron input in the LIBRA experimental tritium breeding process.