Investigation of Radiation Stability of UV Optical Materials for Thermonuclear Power Plant with KrF Laser Driver at a Linear 10-MeV Electron Accelerator. Part I. Adaptation of the Accelerator and Dose Characteristics of Irradiation

Abstract

After achieving thermonuclear ignition in inertial confinement fusion (ICF), a new stage of research began, the ultimate goal of which is creation of an industrial ICF reactor for generating electric energy. This work is devoted to radiation stability of the optical components of ICF reactor chamber and a promising KrF laser driver as one of the unsolved problems along this path. The adaptation of a ten-megaelectronvolt pulsed linear electron accelerator with an average power of 15 kW for testing a number of optical materials transparent to UV radiation of KrF laser is described. With a peak electron beam power of 4 MW and a repetition rate of 8-μs pulses of 50 Hz, the accelerator provided a maximum dose rate of electron irradiation of materials of 2.5 kGy/s at controlled temperature of optical samples under conditions close to the operation of KrF laser driver windows. The results of current and dosimetric measurements are in good agreement with Monte Carlo calculations.