Calculating fusion neutron energy spectra from arbitrary reactant distributions

• Published in: Computer physics communications Vol. 199; pp. 40 - 46
• Main Authors: Eriksson, J., Conroy, S., Andersson Sundén, E., Hellesen, C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.02.2016
• Subjects: Alpha rays; Computer simulation; Diagnostic systems; Energy spectra; Exact solutions; Fysik med inriktning mot tillämpad kärnfysik; Kinematics; Mathematical analysis; Monte Carlo methods; neutron energy spectra; Neutron spectrometry; Nuclear fusion; Nuclear reactions; Physics with specialization in Applied Nuclear Physics; Relativistic kinematics; Nuclear fusion; Relativistic kinematics; Neutron spectrometry; Nuclear reactions
• ISSN: 0010-4655; 1879-2944; 1879-2944
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cpc.2015.10.010

The Directional Relativistic Spectrum Simulator (DRESS) code can perform Monte-Carlo calculations of reaction product spectra from arbitrary reactant distributions, using fully relativistic kinematics. The code is set up to calculate energy spectra from neutrons and alpha particles produced in the D(d, n)3He and T(d, n)4He fusion reactions, but any two-body reaction can be simulated by including the corresponding cross section. The code has been thoroughly tested. The kinematics calculations have been benchmarked against the kinematics module of the ROOT Data Analysis Framework. Calculated neutron energy spectra have been validated against tabulated fusion reactivities and against an exact analytical expression for the thermonuclear fusion neutron spectrum, with good agreement. The DRESS code will be used as the core of a detailed synthetic diagnostic framework for neutron measurements at the JET and MAST tokamaks.