Experiments with nuclear track detectors for diagnostics of protons and alpha particles from fusion plasmas

This report deals with the experimental development of a method of detecting charged particles from nuclear fusion plasmas by means of nuclear track detectors. The latter were bombarded with protons and alpha particles poduced with an accelerator from the fusion reactions D (3He, p) α and D (D, p) T. In the parameter range expected for the particles emitted from thermonuclearly burning plasma the detection probabilities of protons and alpha particles were determined as functions of the energy and angle of incidence, and also the crater radii and depths as functions of the particle species, particle energy and etching time. The following results were obtained: For alpha particles the detection probability in the entire energy range investigated and at angles of incidence between 00 and 700 to the foil normal is about 100%. The alpha particle energy can be approximately determined from the track depths. For protons, on the other hand, the detection probability already decreases monotonically at low energies as the energy increases, becoming zero at about Esub(p) = 7 MeV. Proton detection is only possible at angles of incidence between 00 and 300. The proton energy can be approximately determined from the track radii. The measured energy dependence of the track radii and depths of alpha particles and protons and their angular dependence can be explained with a simple model calculation in which it is assumed that the track etching rate decreases as the particle range in the material of the nuclear track foils increases. (orig.)