Towards a programme of testing and qualification for structural and plasma-facing materials in ‘fusion neutron’ environments

Abstract

Materials damage by 14.1MeV neutrons from deuterium–tritium (D–T) fusion reactions can only be characterised definitively by subjecting a relevant configuration of test materials to high-intensity 'fusion-neutron spectrum sources', i.e. those simulating closely D–T fusion-neutron spectra. This provides major challenges to programmes to design and construct a demonstration fusion reactor prior to having a large-scale, high-intensity source of such neutrons. In this paper, we discuss the different aspects related to these 'relevant configuration' tests, including: