Magnetic-quadrupole spectrometer: studying neutron reactions

A magnetic-quadrupole spectrometer to measure the charged particles from nuclear reactions induced by 14-MeV neutrons was developed. A magnetic lens focuses the charged particles from the reaction site onto a distant detector. This protects the detector against neutron bombardment and greatly improves the signal-to-background ratio. This spectrometer is being used to assess potential radiation damage problems in fusion reactors of the future, to measure the energy deposited by neutron-induced reactions in biological systems, and to study the interaction between two neutrons. This same principle has been adapted to the measurement of fast charged particles from laser-induced fusion