Neutron flux measurement using a fast-neutron scintillation detector with high temporal resolution on the Large Helical Device

To obtain rapid change of the neutron emission rate caused by magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) instabilities, measurements of the neutron flux with the high temporal resolution are made on the Large Helical Device (LHD) with a fast-neutron scintillation detector called neutron fluctuation (NF) operated in current modes. The time response of this detector is up to 5 microseconds. We checked the unwanted signal level caused by neutrons/gamma-rays inside the PMT. The intensity of the unwanted signal was negligibly small compared with the intensity of the scintillation signal as expected. The signal of NF has linear dependence with total neutron emission rate measured by neutron flux monitor in MHD quiet discharges. Rapid decreases of the neutron flux associated with bursting MHD modes excited in a neutral-beam-heated LHD plasma are observed with NF. We found that the neutron flux rapidly decreases within 2 ms. (author)