ITER fusion reactor to get spectrometer to track high-energy neutrons

The ITER fusion reactor, the world’s largest tokamak, is set to install a High Resolution Neutron Spectrometer (HRNS) to measure the number and energies of high-energy neutrons emitted by the plasma during fusion reactions. Developed collaboratively by physicists and engineers from the Polish Academy of Sciences, University of Uppsala, and the Istituto per la Scienza e Tecnologia dei Plasmi in Milan, the HRNS is a critical diagnostic tool designed to track the ratio of tritium to deuterium (nt/nd) in the plasma core. This measurement is essential for understanding fuel composition, ion temperature, and combustion quality, thereby enabling optimized and safe reactor operation. The spectrometer will be installed behind a thick concrete wall surrounding the fusion chamber to withstand the harsh environment. The HRNS is uniquely designed as four independent sub-assemblies, each tailored to different neutron flux intensities and operating principles. These include the Thin-foil Proton Recoil (TPR) sub