Capillary detector with deuterated scintillator for inertial confinement fusion neutron images

We demonstrate 325 mum spatial resolution in a 14 MeV neutron detector made with a capillary array filled with a deuterated liquid scintillator. A 10 mum source resolution in an image formed by 14 MeV neutrons is now achievable on a 25 m line-of-sight path for implosions at the Laser Mega Joule and the National Ignition Facilities. Analysis of penumbral and annular imaging techniques using this capillary array technology predicts good signal-to-noise ratios for images formed by targets yielding 10(15) neutrons or more. Experimental images of individual scattered recoil ions and measurement of their resulting light distributions are presented and are well understood. Neutron imaging of deuterium-filled capsules is also found to be feasible, based on the light-yield calibration of the neutron detector. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.