Design of a Warm X-Ray Radiation Environment for Nuclear Weapons Effects Testing in the Nova-Upgrade Facility

Author

Jeffrey E. Malapit

Date of Award

3-1992

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Department of Engineering Physics

First Advisor

Denis E. Beller, PhD

Abstract

This engineering design project examined the creation of a radiation environment for warm x-ray effects testing in the Nova Upgrade laser facility. With the use of the MORSE Monte Carlo Code and the DABL69 Broad-group cross section library, the ignition of an inertial confinement fusion pellet using D-T fuel in a test cassette was modeled in the Nova Upgrade's target chamber. Various x-ray scattering materials were used in the test cassette to include enriched lithium hydride, polyethylene, liquid hydrogen, liquid helium, and liquid methane. The lithium hydride produced the best warm x-ray doses and least neutron dose. The predicted x-ray dose in silicon was 6.30 ± 0.09 kGy per MJ (630 krad/MJ ) of warm x-ray yield with a peak dose rate of 2.3 x 10¹² Gy/s per MJ (2.3 x 10¹⁴ rad/s per MJ). For a nominal 20 MJ D-T ICF pellet with a 1% warm x-ray yield, the dose is 1.38 kGy (138 krad) and the peak dose rate is 4.6 x 10¹¹ Gy/s (4.6 x 10¹³ rad/s). When this result is compared with the existing warm x-ray NWET simulators (MBS and MBS(PI)), three orders of magnitude gain in dose and four orders of magnitude gain in dose rate are realized. Less than 1% of the total dose was due to neutrons.

AFIT Designator

AFIT-GNE-ENP-92M-7

DTIC Accession Number

ADA248166

Comments

The author's Vita page is omitted.

Recommended Citation

Malapit, Jeffrey E., "Design of a Warm X-Ray Radiation Environment for Nuclear Weapons Effects Testing in the Nova-Upgrade Facility" (1992). Theses and Dissertations. 7612.
https://scholar.afit.edu/etd/7612