Designs and neutronic characteristics of an epithermal neutron moderator at ambient temperature for neutron time-of-flight measurements

ABSTRACT Compact time-of-flight (TOF) measurement systems are desirable for easy installation in various facilities. To achieve such compact systems, one of the key considerations is the design of the neutron moderator. Therefore, systematic studies on moderators considering both neutron energy resolution and neutron intensity are important. In this paper, to design an epithermal neutron moderator at ambient temperature for short-distance TOF measurements, the neutron intensity and energy resolution of epithermal neutrons have been studied using the Monte Carlo simulation code PHITS with JENDL-4.0 for various types of moderators. The neutronic characteristics of a moderator comprising several components were evaluated. The relationships between the moderator dimensions and both the energy resolution and intensity of the epithermal neutrons were determined. From the obtained results, the appropriate high-resolution moderator designs for the short-distance TOF measurements were proposed.

[1]  E. D'humieres,et al.  Multivariate scaling of maximum proton energy in intense laser driven ion acceleration , 2021, Physical Review Research.

[2]  Tomohiro Kobayashi,et al.  Completion of a new accelerator-driven compact neutron source prototype RANS-II for on-site use , 2021 .

[3]  R. Goldston,et al.  Neutron-Resonance Transmission Analysis with a Compact Deuterium-Tritium Neutron Generator , 2020, Physical Review Applied.

[4]  D. Neely,et al.  Proof-of-principle experiment for laser-driven cold neutron source , 2020, Scientific Reports.

[5]  E. Engel,et al.  Feasibility study of a compact neutron resonance transmission analysis instrument , 2019, AIP Advances.

[6]  Jaehong Lee,et al.  Neutron total cross section measurements of polyethylene using time-of-flight method at KURNS-LINAC , 2020, Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology.

[7]  A. Sunahara,et al.  Evaluation of neutron pulse width in laser-driven neutron source using organic scintillator , 2019, 2019 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium and Medical Imaging Conference (NSS/MIC).

[8]  K. Nakajima,et al.  Identification and Quantification of Nuclear Nuclides Using a Pulsed Neutron Imaging Technique , 2019, Proceedings of the Second International Symposium on Radiation Detectors and Their Uses (ISRD2018).

[9]  Kenichi Watanabe,et al.  Development of a neutron source for imaging at the electron linac facility in Kyoto University Research Reactor Institute , 2018, Physica B: Condensed Matter.

[10]  Yoshiaki Kiyanagi,et al.  Neutron Imaging at Compact Accelerator-Driven Neutron Sources in Japan , 2018, J. Imaging.

[11]  W. Roquemore,et al.  MeV proton acceleration at kHz repetition rate from ultra-intense laser liquid interaction , 2018 .

[12]  Takuya Furuta,et al.  Features of Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System (PHITS) version 3.02 , 2018 .

[13]  M. Kureta,et al.  Development of Neutron Resonance Transmission Analysis as a Non-Destructive Assay Technique for Nuclear Nonproliferation , 2018 .

[14]  Jaehong Lee,et al.  Analysis of energy resolution in the KURRI-LINAC pulsed neutron facility , 2017 .

[15]  N. M. H. Butler,et al.  Experimental demonstration of a compact epithermal neutron source based on a high power laser , 2017 .

[16]  G. Festa,et al.  Research opportunities with compact accelerator-driven neutron sources , 2016 .

[17]  Masato Takamura,et al.  Prospect for application of compact accelerator-based neutron source to neutron engineering diffraction , 2016 .

[18]  F. Sordo,et al.  Baseline design of a low energy neutron source at ESS-Bilbao , 2014 .

[19]  Michihiro Furusaka,et al.  Energy resolution of pulsed neutron beam provided by the ANNRI beamline at the J-PARC/MLF , 2014 .

[20]  M. Donovan,et al.  Optimization of the neutron yield in fusion plasmas produced by Coulomb explosions of deuterium clusters irradiated by a petawatt laser. , 2013, Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics.

[21]  Marco Borghesi,et al.  Ion acceleration by superintense laser-plasma interaction , 2013, 1302.1775.

[22]  J. Heyse,et al.  Determination of Resonance Parameters and their Covariances from Neutron Induced Reaction Cross Section Data , 2012 .

[23]  J. Mcnaney,et al.  Generation of high-energy (>15 MeV) neutrons using short pulse high intensity lasers , 2012 .

[24]  G. Gorini,et al.  Neutron resonance spectroscopy for the characterization of materials and objects , 2012 .

[25]  K. Shibata,et al.  JENDL-4.0: A New Library for Nuclear Science and Engineering , 2011 .

[26]  Noboru Watanabe,et al.  First neutron production utilizing J-PARC pulsed spallation neutron source JSNS and neutronic performance demonstrated , 2010 .

[27]  T. Kamiyama,et al.  Pulsed neutron imaging using resonance transmission spectroscopy , 2009 .

[28]  Y. Ikeda.  J-PARC status update , 2009 .

[29]  T. Kamiyama,et al.  Energy sliced neutron tomography using neutron resonance absorption spectrometer , 2009 .

[30]  P. Audebert,et al.  Laser-driven proton scaling laws and new paths towards energy increase , 2006 .

[31]  Schillebeeckx Peter,et al.  GELINA, a neutron time-of-flight facility for high-resolution neutron data measurements , 2006 .

[32]  Y. Ikeda.  Current status of 1 MW pulse spallation neutron source (JSNS) of J-PARC , 2005 .

[33]  T. Kai,et al.  Optimization of Coupled Hydrogen Moderator for a Short Pulse Spallation Source , 2002 .

[34]  N. Watanabe,et al.  Premoderator studies for a coupled liquid-hydrogen moderator in pulsed spallation neutron sources , 1994 .

[35]  J. Carpenter,et al.  On the use of switch functions in describing pulsed neutron moderators , 1991 .

[36]  Y. Kiyanagi.  Effects of Reflector on Intensity of Thermal Neutrons Emitted from Moderator for Pulsed Neutron Source , 1987 .

[37]  Y. Kiyanagi.  Neutronics of Polyethylene Thermal Moderator of Wing and Slab Geometries on Pulsed Neutron Source , 1985 .

[38]  Y. Kiyanagi,et al.  Pulsed Neutron Intensity from Rectangular Shaped Light Water Moderator with Fast-Neutron Reflector , 1982 .

[39]  C. Windsor,et al.  A cooled polyethylene moderator on a pulsed neutron source , 1978 .

[40]  R. Sinclair,et al.  Neutron moderator assemblies for pulsed thermal neutron time-of-flight experiments , 1969 .

[41]  A. Michaudon.  The production of moderated neutron beams from pulsed accelerators , 1963 .

[42]  P. A. Egelstaff,et al.  Neutron Physics , 1960, Nature.