The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) has teamed up with CERN, EUROfusion, CEA-IRFM, Aix-Marseille University, CNRS and the University of Rennes to investigate the effects of neutrons on electronic components in the fusion energy environment.
JET employs magnetic fields to confine superheated plasma at temperatures ten times hotter than the core of the sun.
This fusion process releases high-energy neutrons that can disrupt or damage electronic devices, potentially causing data corruption or circuit errors.
Given the vital role of electronics in monitoring and controlling plasma conditions, understanding their behaviour under these extreme conditions is paramount.
Lee Packer, Senior Fellow in Nuclear Science and Technology at UKAEA, said: “Understanding how electronic components react to the characteristic neutron-rich environment presented by fusion is one such example, as it can influence how those components are designed, protected and incorporated within future fusion machines.
“The resulting data and learnings from these experiments are expected to be applicable across the fusion sector, including ITER, DEMO and STEP and adjacent industries that need to use electronics in extreme environments.”
