Experimental verification of neutron phenomenology in lead and transmutation by adiabatic resonance crossing in accelerator driven systems

Energy and space distributions of spallation neutrons (from 2.5 and 3.57 GeV/c CERN proton beams) slowing down in a 3.3×3.3×3 m3 lead volume and neutron capture rates on long-lived fission fragments 99Tc and 129I demonstrate that Adiabatic Resonance Crossing (ARC) can be used to eliminate efficiently such nuclear waste and validate innovative simulation. (submitted to Phys. Lett. B) (§) Present address LAESA, Zaragoza, Spain (¥) Present address CRS4, Cagliari, Italy (¶) Present address MIT, Cambridge, USA (æ) Present address Université Paris VI, Paris, France (fi) Also at CSNSM, IN2P3, Orsay, France