Ten-inch manipulator-based neutron temporal diagnostic for cryogenic experiments on OMEGA

Measurements of the neutron emission from inertial confinement fusion implosions provide important information about target performance that can be compared directly with numerical models. For room-temperature target experiments on OMEGA at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) the neutron temporal diagnostic (NTD), originally developed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, is used to measure the neutron burn history with high resolution and good timing accuracy. The NTD is mechanically incompatible with cryogenic target experiments because of the standoff required to remain clear of the cryogenic target handling system, A cryogenic-compatible neutron temporal diagnostic (cryoNTD) has been designed for LLE’s standard ten-inch manipulator diagnostic inserters. This instrument provides high-resolution neutron emission measurements for cryogenic implosions. Experimental results of the performance of cryoNTD compared to NTD on room-temperature direct-drive implosions and on cryogenic implosions are presented.