Analysis of nuclide production in the MEGAPIE target

Abstract

MEGAPIE, the first liquid metal target irradiated by a proton beam at the MW power level, was successfully operated in 2006. A continuous beam of 575 MeV protons with a current up to 1.35 mA irradiated the liquid lead–bismuth target placed in the SINQ target location at PSI (Switzerland) for a period of 4 months. The activation of the lead–bismuth irradiated in MEGAPIE has been investigated. Experimental cross-sections and evaluated data available for neutron- and proton-induced reaction cross-sections at incident energies from 10 −5 eV to 600 MeV, and results of nuclear model calculations have been used to obtain nuclear reaction rates. Calculated nuclide and gas production rates are compared with calculations using the MCNPX and FLUKA Monte Carlo codes. The total activation of the LBE agrees well with the other codes. Discrepancies with FLUKA and MCNPX are mainly in two mass regions, where experimental data are scarce: the region 30< A<50, and the region 140< A<170. The results obtained can be used for the further study of the safe operation of liquid heavy metal targets of Accelerator-Driven Systems and spallation neutron sources and for the definition of the priorities in the development of evaluated nuclear data libraries at intermediate nucleon energies.