Next generation gamma ray Cherenkov detectors for the National Ignition Facility.
The newest generation of Gas Cherenkov Detector (GCD 3) employed in Inertial Confinement Fusion experiments at the Omega Laser Facility has provided improved performance over previous generations. Comparison of reaction histories measured using two different deuterium tritium fusion products, namely gamma rays using GCD and neutrons using Neutron Temporal Diagnostic (NTD) have provided added credibility to both techniques. GCD 3 is now being brought to the National Ignition Facility (NIF) to supplement the existing Gamma Reaction History (GRH 6m) located 6 m from target chamber center (TCC) Initially it will be located in a reentrant well located 3.9 m from TCC. Data from GCD 3 will inform the design of a heavily shielded "Super" GCD to be located as close as 20 cm from TCC. It will also provide a test bed for faster optical detectors, potentially lowering the temporal resolution from the current ~100 ps state of the art photomultiplier tubes (PMT) to ~10 ps Pulse Dilation PMT technology currently under development.
The Review of scientific instruments