Abstract
Scintillation detectors are widely used for hard X-ray spectroscopy and allow us to investigate the dynamics of runaway electrons in tokamaks. This diagnostic tool proved to be able to provide information about the energy or the number of runaway electrons. Presently it has been used for runaway studies at the GOLEM and the COMPASS tokamaks. The set of scintillation detectors used at both tokamaks was significantly extended and improved. Besides NaI(Tl) (2 × 2 inch) scintillation detectors, YAP(Ce) and CeBr3 were employed. The data acquisition system was accordingly improved and the data from scintillation detectors is collected with appropriate sampling rate (≈300 MHz) and sufficient bandwidth (≈100 MHz) to allow a pulse analysis. Up to five detectors can currently simultaneously monitor hard X-ray radiation at the GOLEM. The same scintillation detectors were also installed during the runaway electron campaign at the COMPASS tokamak. The aim of this contribution is to report progress in diagnostics of HXR radiation induced by runaway electrons at the GOLEM and the COMPASS tokamaks. The data collected during the 12th runaway electron campaign (2020) at COMPASS shows that count rates during typical low-density runaway electron discharges are in a range of hundreds of kHz and detected photon energies go up to 10 MeV (measured outside the tokamak hall). Acquired data from experimental campaigns from both machines will be discussed.
Backward runaway electrons in a subnanosecond air discharge at atmospheric pressure