ASCOT simulations of 14 MeV neutron rates in W7-X: effect of magnetic configuration

TL;DR

This study uses ASCOT simulations to analyze how magnetic configuration influences 14 MeV neutron production in W7-X stellarator plasmas, finding minimal effects on neutron rates but implications for detection in high-performance discharges.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed simulation-based assessment of magnetic configuration effects on neutron production in W7-X, including 14 MeV neutron rates.

Findings

Neutron production rates are only slightly affected by magnetic configuration.

14 MeV neutron rates are between 1.49 and 1.67 x 10^{12} s^{-1}.

Detection is feasible in high-performance discharges.

Abstract

Neutron production rates in fusion devices are determined not only by the kinetic profiles but also the fast ion slowing-down distributions. In this work, we investigate the effect of magnetic configuration on neutron production rates in future deuterium plasmas in the Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) stellarator. The neutral beam injection, beam and triton slowing-down distributions, and the fusion reactivity are simulated with the ASCOT suite of codes. The results indicate that the magnetic configuration has only a small effect on the production of 2.45 MeV neutrons from thermonuclear and beam-target fusion. The 14.1 MeV neutron production rates were found to be between $1.49 \times 10^{12}$ $\mathrm{s}^{-1}$ and $1.67 \times 10^{12}$ $\mathrm{s}^{-1}$, which is estimated to be sufficient for a time-resolved detection using a scintillating fiber detector, although only in high-performance discharges.