Commissioning an X-Ray Detector System for Spectral Analysis of Tritium-Filled Targets
2017:
Shown here is Rory Hamilton working on the commissioning of an x-ray detection system
An x-ray detection system (XDS) has been modified to nondestructively measure the pressure of DT fuel inside a target just prior to a shot. The XDS comprises three primary components: a high-resolution, dual-axes imaging system for repeatable, accurate target positioning; a helium enclosure with triple-axes micrometer positioning; and an Amptek silicon drift detector (SDD). The SDD was fit with a silicon nitrate (Si3N4) window to measure x-ray energies from 200 eV to 40 keV. The detector features a 25-mm2 silicon drift diode with a measured 130-eV full-width-at-half-maximum resolution at 5.7 keV.