Modeling a one-dimensional bremsstrahlung and neutron imaging array for use on Sandia close-quote s Z machine

Inertial confinement fusion is being studied on the Z facility at Sandia National Laboratories. Z is a large z-pinch machine which can provide 20 MA of current to z-pinch loads producing ∼1.8 MJ of soft x rays in less than 10 ns. Within the pinch region, decelerated electrons produce a strong source of bremsstrahlung radiation which varies from shot to shot. Additionally, a variety of inertial confinement fusion targets may produce fusion neutrons, the intensity and distribution of which depend on the temperature and density of the pinch. In this article, we describe the computer modeling behind the shielding design of a simple time-resolved, one-dimensional imaging array. This diagnostic will provide a time history for both the bremsstrahlung and neutron production as a function of height in the target. Calculations show that by building an array of scintillator fibers separated by long, thin tungsten collimator plates, a sampling rate of 0.254 mm at the target can be achieved. The corresponding channel-to-channel discrimination for such a design is shown to be better than 1000 ampersand as;1 for <4 MeV photons and 100 ampersand as;1 for 2.45 MeV neutrons. By coupling scintillator fibers to a fiber-optic streak camera system, the system time response is expected to be dominated by the scintillator response (∼1.2 ns). copyright 1999 American Institute of Physics