Determination of fuel density-radius product of inertial confinement fusion targets by neutron activation

Abstract

The quality of the confinement and thermonuclear burn of inertial confinement fusion targets scales as the density-radius product ρR of the fuel. Neutron activation of trace elements placed in the fuel can be used to directly measure ρR. This concept and several candidate tracers, 14N, 40Ar, and 79Br, are discussed.