An Improved and Substantially Faster System for Scanning CR-39 Detectors Used in Charged-Particle and Neutron Diagnostics on OMEGA, the NIF and Z

CR-39 is a passive charged-particle detector widely used in diagnostics for experiments at OMEGA, the NIF, and Z. Automated microscope scanning systems are used to scan the surface of CR-39 to analyze particle types and energies, but current systems can take up to 16 hours to scan one piece of CR-39. A new microscope scanning system is being developed, featuring a modern sCMOS camera with a much wider field of view, a piezoelectric focusing system, and optimized control software. This upgraded system was demonstrated to be able to scan samples up to sixteen times faster than current systems under ideal conditions. The new camera also has a higher spatial resolution, improving the precision and accuracy of particle measurements.