Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Final Scientific/Technical Report - Absolute Neutron Rate Measurement and Non-Thermal/Thermonuclear Fusion Differentiation - 18/CJ000/05/05

Sep 11, 2026

Uploaded by Asher

Final scientific/technical report detailing an ARPA-E funded effort by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in collaboration with the University of California, Berkeley to design, assemble, and field a portable neutron detection system (PANDA). The suite combines three LaBr activation detectors for calibrated total neutron yield with twenty-four scintillators coupled to photomultiplier tubes enabling spatial and temporal and/or energy information. Deployed at FuZE and CESZAR/UCSD, the diagnostics supported analyses including differentiation of thermonuclear fusion behavior and improvements in fusion yields via gas-shell configurations, with follow-on interest and funding outcomes.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages9

Reading Time23 min

AccessFree to download

Table of Figures/Tables

Public Executive Summary

Acknowledgements

Accomplishments and Objectives

Project Activities

Project Outputs

Follow-On Funding

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Final Scientific/Technical Report Absolute Neutron Rate Measurement and Non-Thermal/Thermonuclear Fusion Differentiation 18/CJ000/05/05 | Award: | 18/CJ000/05/05 | | --- | --- | | Sponsoring Agency | USDOE, Advanced Research Project Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) | | Lead Recipient: | Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory | | Project Team Members | Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory University of California, Berkeley | | Project Title: | Absolute Neutron Rate Measurement and NonThermal/Thermonuclear Fusion Differentiation | | Program Director: | Dr. Scott Hsu/Dr. Ahmed Diallo | | Principal Investigator: | Dr. Drew P. Higginson | | Contract Administrator: | Dr. Drew P. Higginson | | Date of Report: | 2/7/2024 | | Reporting Period: | 1/1/2020 – 8/30/2022 | The information, data, or work presented herein was funded in part by the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), U.S. Department of Energy, under Award Number DEAR0000571, 18/CJ000/05/05 . The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof. Please check the appropriate box: ☒ This Report contains no Protected Data. Table of Contents Table of Figures/Tables ......................................................................................................................................... 2 Public Executive Summary .................................................................................................................................... 2 Acknowledgements .............................................................................................................................................. 3 Accomplishments and Objectives ......................................................................................................................... 3 Project Activities ................................................................................................................................................... 6 Project Outputs..................................................................................................................................................... 7 Follow-On Funding ................................................................................................................................................ 8 Table of Figures/Tables Table 1. Key Milestones and Deliverables.................................................................................................... 7 Public Executive Summary The goal of fusion energy is to produce significantly more energy from fusion reactions than is input into the device. One of the products of fusion reactions is neutrons, which, due to their lack of charge, provide a unique view into the parameters of the device. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in collaboration with the University of California, Berkeley (UCB) have designed, assembled, and fielded a robust and portable neutron detection system known as PANDA (Portable and Adaptable Neutron Diagnostics for ARPA-E) . This detector suite consists of three LaBr activation detectors that are calibrated to give a total neutron yield on shot, and twenty-four scintillators coupled to photomultiplier tubes (SPMT) . The SPMTs can be configured to attain spatial, temporal and/or energy information from fusion neutrons. The system was designed to be portable and is compartmentalized so that individual components can be used at different fusion facilities. During the duration of this work, part of the system was installed at the FuZE facility, a part of Zap Energy. Another component was installed that the CESZAR facility at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) to support experiments by Magneto-Inertial Fusion Technologies, Inc. (MIFTI) . The diagnostics were successful at both locations and the LLNL/UCB team supported the data analysis by creating and

FAQs

What is the purpose of the PANDA neutron detection system in this report?

PANDA is designed to measure fusion-produced neutrons in a portable way, providing calibrated total neutron yield and enabling spatial, temporal, and/or energy information from fusion neutrons.

How are neutron signals detected and calibrated in the system?

The system uses three LaBr activation detectors calibrated to provide total neutron yield per shot, together with twenty-four scintillators coupled to photomultiplier tubes for configurable spatial, temporal, and energy information.

Where were the diagnostics deployed and what were the key outcomes?

The diagnostics were installed at the FuZE facility and the CESZAR facility at UCSD. Results at FuZE supported evidence that fusion is thermonuclear and led to invited scientific communications, while UCSD usage demonstrated improvements in fusion yields with a gas shell surrounding the fuel.

Sep 11, 2026

Uploaded by Asher