Fusion-reaction protons measurements within TEXTOR by means of solid-state nuclear track detectors

A new attempt to measure fusion-protons produced within the TEXTOR tokamak has recently been undertaken by the IPJ team operating in a frame of the Association EURATOM-IPPLM, Poland, in the collaboration with the Belgian and German EURATOM Associations. To record fusion-produced protons in one of diagnostic ports of the TEXTOR, operated at IPP in Jülich, a miniature ion-pinhole camera was constructed at IPJ in Swierk. The camera was equipped with a PM-355 type nuclear track detector and it was fixed upon a movable water-cooled manipulator, which was constructed by the German partner. The whole system was located inside the TEXTOR vacuum vessel. The detector was irradiated during several discharges performed under chosen experimental conditions. The irradiated detector was etched at the standard conditions, and tracks of fast (> 3:0 MeV) fusion-protons were analyzed with a microscope. The whole proton-pinhole image was analyzed quantitatively to determine the number and spatial distribution of the recorded fusion-protons. To understand the obtained experimental date, the results have been compared with those of computer simulations carried out by another team, as described in another paper.