Neutron spectrometry for D–T plasmas in JET, using a tandem annular-radiator proton-recoil spectrometer

A selection of the 14-MeV neutron spectra obtained at the JET Joint Undertaking tokamak during the deuterium–tritium operating campaign in 1997 are presented and analyzed. While several neutron spectrometers were operational during this campaign, the present paper is concerned solely with one: the tandem annular-radiator proton-recoil spectrometer (or proton recoil telescope, for brevity). During neutral beam heating with combined d- and t-beams, analysis of the spectra can define the core fuel composition (D:T) ratio. The spectra are sensitive to the population balance of the fast ions streaming in directions parallel and opposite to that of the injected beams. During ICRF heating of minority deuterium in bulk tritium plasmas, the spectra provide measurements of the effective temperature of the fast-deuteron energy tail and of its relative strength, which vary with the deuterium concentration. This information contributes to the overall understanding of the fusion performance of the various operating scenarios.