By combining the time-of-flight or LIDAR principle with a Thomson backscatter diagnostic, spatial profiles of the electron temperature and density are measured in a magnetically confined fusion plasma. This technique was realized for the first time on the JET tokamak. A ruby laser (3-J pulse energy, 300-ps pulse duration, 0.5-Hz repetition rate) together with a 700-MHz bandwidth detection and registration system yields a spatial resolution of about 12 cm. A spectrometer with six channels in the wavelength range 400–800 nm gives a dynamic range of the temperature measurements of 0.3–20 keV. The stray light problem in the backscatter geometry is overcome by spectral discrimination and gating of the photomultipliers. A ruby filter in the spectral channel containing the laser wavelength allows calibration of the vignetting along the line of sight by means of Raman scattering, enabling the measurement of density profiles. The low level of background signal due to the short integration time for a single spatial point yields low statistical errors (ΔTe /Te ≊6%, Δne /ne ≊4% at Te =6 keV, ne =3×1019 m−3 ). Goodness-of-fit tests indicate that the systematic errors are within the same limits. The system is described and examples of measurements are given.

The fission Time Projection Chamber (fissionTPC) is a compact (15 cm diameter) two-chamber MICROMEGAS TPC designed to make precision cross section measurements of neutron-induced fission. The actinide targets are placed on the central cathode and irradiated with a neutron beam that passes axially through the TPC inducing fission in the target. The 4π acceptance for fission fragments and complete charged particle track reconstruction are powerful features of the fissionTPC which will be used to measure fission cross sections and examine the associated systematic errors. This paper provides a detailed description of the design requirements, the design solutions, and the initial performance of the fissionTPC.

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Fission fragment angular distributions can provide an important constraint on fission theory, improving predictive fission codes, and are a prerequisite for a precise ratio cross section measurement. Available anisotropy data is sparse, especially at neutron energies above 5 MeV. For the first time, a three-dimensional tracking detector is employed to study fragment emission angles and provide a direct measurement of angular anisotropy. The Neutron Induced Fission Fragment Tracking Experiment (NIFFTE) collaboration has deployed the fission time projection chamber (fissionTPC) to measure nuclear data with unprecedented precision. The fission fragment anisotropy of 235 U has been measured over a wide range of incident neutron energies from 180 keV to 200 MeV; a careful study of the systematic uncertainties complement the data.

The MICROMEGAS (MICRO-MEsh GAseous Structure) charge amplification structure has found wide use in many detection applications, especially as a gain stage for the charge readout of Time Projection Chambers (TPCs). Here we report on the behavior of a MICROMEGAS TPC when operated in a high-energy (up to 800 MeV) neutron beam. It is found that neutron-induced reactions can cause discharges in some drift gas mixtures that are stable in the absence of the neutron beam. The discharges result from recoil ions close to the MICROMEGAS that deposit high specific ionization density and have a limited diffusion time. For a binary drift gas, increasing the percentage of the molecular component (quench gas) relative to the noble component and operating at lower pressures generally improves stability

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The Neutron Induced Fission Fragment Tracking Experiment (NIFFTE) is a doublesided Time Projection Chamber (TPC) with micromegas readout designed to measure the energydependent neutron-induced fission cross sections of the major and minor actinides with unprecedented accuracy. The NIFFTE project addresses the challenge of minimizing major sources of systematic uncertainties from previous fission chamber measurements such as: target and beam non-uniformities, misidentification of alpha and light charged particles as fission fragments, and uncertainties inherent to the reference standards used. In-beam tests of the NIFFTE TPC at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) started in