China Spallation Neutron Source Research Articles

Measurement of the neutron total cross section of 9Be at the Back-n white neutron source of CSNS

Abstract The neutron total cross section data of 9Be play an important role in nuclear structure model research of light nuclei and nuclear power installations. A measurement of the neutron total cross section of 9Be in the 0.3 eV-120 MeV energy region has been carried out by using time-of-flight method and transmission method with the Neutron Total Cross Sectional Spectrometer (NTOX) based on the multi-cell fast fission chamber at the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS)- Back-n white neutron source (Back-n). The fission count-neutron energy distributions of 235U and 238U without sample and with Be samples in three thicknesses were measured in the double-bunch operation mode during beam power of 100 kW. The Bayesian method is used to eliminate the influence of the double-bunch problem on neutron measurement in the energy region above 10 keV. The neutron total cross section of 9Be results is well consistent with ENDF/B-VIII.0 evaluation library data in 0.3 eV-20 MeV energy region. In the energy range of 0.3 eV to 10 keV, the deviation between our results and the evaluation results of ENDF/B-VIII.0 is within 2.5%, which is within 15% from 0.01-20 MeV. In the resonance energy region, the measured resonance energies in our experiment are 0.63 MeV, 0.82 MeV and 2.8 MeV respectively. The results show that the total cross section uncertainties of three thicknesses Be samples are within 2.2% in the energy region below 1 MeV. The total cross section uncertainty of 30 mm Be from 235U is the smallest and less than 5% in the energy region 0.3 eV-120 MeV. The results of this experiment can provide technical support for further data analysis and related nuclear data evaluation.

The design of a scientific data management system based on DOMAS at CSNS-II (preliminary stage)

At the second stage of China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS-II), it is predicted that 2 PB raw experimental data will be produced annually from twenty instruments. Scientific computing puts forward higher requirements for data sharing, utilization, retrieval, analysis efficiency, and security. However, the existing data management system (DMS) based on ICAT has several limitations including poor scalability of metadata database, imperfect data-management lifecycle and inflexible API. To ensure the accuracy, usability, scalability and efficiency of CSNS-II experimental data, a new scientific data management system is therefore designed based on the DOMAS framework developed by the Computing Center of IHEP. The data acquisition, transmission, storage and service systems are re-designed and tailored specifically for CSNS-II. Upon its completion, the new DMS will overcome the existing challenges and offer functions such as online display, search functionality and rapid download capabilities for metadata, raw data and analyzed data; flexible and user-friendly authorization; and data lifecycle management. Ultimately, the implementation of the new Data Management System (DMS) is expected to enhance the efficiency of experimental data analysis, propelling CSNS-II to achieve international advanced standards. Furthermore, it aims to reinforce self-reliance and technological strength in the field of science and technology at a high level in China. The development and deployment of the new DMS begin at the end of 2023.

Performance and painting scheme considerations for the CSNS injection

The accelerator complex of China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) consists of an 80 MeV H- Linac and a 1.6 GeV proton rapid cycling synchrotron (RCS). The beam injection is one of the most important issues for the CSNS accelerator complex. In this paper, the injection methods have been comprehensively studied, including phase space painting and H- stripping. By using the design scheme of the anti-correlated painting, the beam power has successfully reached 50 kW. However, some difficulties have been found in the higher power beam commissioning. In order to solve these key problems, flexibility in the CSNS design has been exploited to implement the correlated painting by using the rising current curve of the pulse power supply. The effectiveness of the new method has been verified in the simulation and beam commissioning. By using the new method, the beam power on the target has successfully risen to the design value. Secondly, according to the CSNS beam commissioning experience, based on the present design of the injection system, a new idea is proposed to perform both correlated and anti-correlated painting in the CSNS. By adopting an additional vertical shift bump generated by four additional alternating current (AC) magnets in the injection region, the local orbit can be manipulated to meet the requirement of correlated painting. The new method can not only perform the correlated painting, but also optimize the anti-correlated painting. The simulation study shows that the new method works well, and both correlated and anti-correlated painting methods are well performed.

RF-driven H− sources of long life-time and new LEBT developed at CSNS

An RF-driven ion source has been put into commissioning on the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) accelerator since September 2021. In the last two run cycles, the ion source has operated for 310 and 323 days respectively, with an availability of almost 100%. To fully meet the requirements of the CSNS project Phase-II (CSNS-II), the beam intensity from the linac should be enhanced to above 40mA, and the transverse emittance should be minimized to suppress beam loss during acceleration and transportation. A new test bench consisting of an ion source and a LEBT has been constructed to carry out these optimization and research. The featured functions of the LEBT are associated with proton elimination and electrostatic beam chopping. This report covers the operation status and development of the RF-driven H− source and the new LEBT.

Beamline design for multipurpose muon beams at CSNS EMuS

A new muon beam facility, called the Experimental Muon Source (EMuS), was proposed for construction at the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS). The design of the complex muon beamlines for the EMuS baseline scheme, which is based on superconducting solenoids, superferric dipoles and room-temperature magnets, is presented herein. Various muon beams, including surface muons, decay muons and low energy muons, have been developed for multipurpose applications. The optics design and simulation results of the trunk beamline and branch beamlines are presented. With a proton beam power of 25 kW at a standalone target station that consists of a conical graphite target and high-field superconducting solenoids, the muon beam intensity in the trunk beamline varies from 107/s for surface muons to 1010/s for high-momentum decay muons. And at the endstations, these values vary from 105/s for surface muons to 108/s for decay muons.

Tune optimization for alleviating space charge effects and suppressing beam instability at the RCS of CSNS

The design betatron tune of the Rapid Cycling Synchrotron (RCS) of China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) is (4.86, 4.80), which allows for incoherent tune shifts to avoid serious systematic betatron resonances. When the operational bare tune was set at the design value, serious beam instability in the horizontal plane and beam loss induced by half-integer resonance in the vertical plane under space charge detuning were observed. Simulations and experiments have shown that space charge-induced beam loss reduces as the tunes move up and away from half-integer resonance lines. However, experimental observations have shown that instability growth rates increase rapidly as the tune approaches integer from below. The tune requirements for reducing the beam loss caused by space charge effects and suppressing beam instability are different at the RCS of CSNS. The tunes over the whole acceleration process are optimized based on space charge effects and beam instability. The optimized tune pattern was able to well control the beam loss induced by space charge and beam instability. The beam power of CSNS achieved the design value of 100 kW with small beam loss.

Feasibility study of CSNS as an ATLAS ITk sensor QA irradiation site

The current ATLAS Inner Detector will undergo a complete upgrade in order to meet the requirements of the High Luminosity Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC). The new Inner Tracker (ITk) will be made completely of silicon sensors fabricated by Hamamatsu Photonics K.K. (HPK). Quality Assurance (QA) is focused on providing confidence that quality requirements will be fulfilled in production such as irradiation tolerance and testing specification for the mini sensors. The Associated Proton beam Experiment Platform (APEP) beam line at the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) was commissioned in 2022. This study focused on verifying the feasibility of CSNS as an ITk sensor QA irradiation site. A low-temperature Peltier cold box has been developed to keep the irradiation sensor samples at −15 °C. Several fluence points have been studied from 5.1×1014 neq/cm2 to 1.6×1015 neq/cm2, measured with the activation of the aluminium foils. The post-irradiation measurements (IV, CV, and CCE) are done under cold temperatures (−8 °C for IV and CV, −20 °C for CCE), after annealing for 80 min at 60 °C. Test results show CSNS could be a suitable proton irradiation site for the ATLAS ITk sensor project, after formal site qualification.

The multi-slit very small angle neutron scattering instrument at the China Spallation Neutron Source.

A multi-slit very small angle neutron scattering (MS-VSANS) instrument has been finally accepted at the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS). It is the first spallation neutron source based VSANS instrument. MS-VSANS has a good signal-to-noise ratio and can cover a wide scattering vector magnitude range from 0.00028 to 1.4 Å-1. In its primary flight path, a combined curved multichannel beam bender and sections of rotary exchange drums are installed to minimize the background downstream of the instrument. An exchangeable multi-slit beam focusing system is integrated into the primary flight path, enabling access to a minimum scattering vector magnitude of 0.00028 Å-1. MS-VSANS has three modes, namely conventional SANS, polarizing SANS and VSANS modes. In the SANS mode, three motorized high-efficiency 3He tube detectors inside the detector tank cover scattering angles from 0.12 to 35° simultaneously. In the polarizing SANS mode, a double-V cavity provides highly polarized neutrons and a high-efficiency 3He polarization analyser allows full polarization analysis. In the VSANS mode, an innovative high-resolution gas electron multiplier detector covers scattering angles from 0.016 to 0.447°. The absolute scattering intensities of a selection of standard samples are obtained using the direct-beam technique; the effectiveness of this method is verified by testing the standard samples and comparing the results with those from a benchmark instrument. The MS-VSANS instrument is designed to be flexible and versatile and all the design goals have been achieved.

Development of a pile-up pulse recovery algorithm for the LaBr[formula omitted] detector

Precise measurement under high counting rates has been a major challenge for γ-ray spectroscopy, where signals generally pile up with each other and their characteristic values are deeply coupled. An off-line pile-up pulse recovery algorithm based on template matching is developed for LaBr3 scintillation detectors and has been applied to data from China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) Back-n white neutron beamline. As an improvement to the traditional Template Matching methods, the predetermined template shape is associated with pulse amplitudes, which is found crucial to achieve the best fitting results. Moreover, a universal strategy of setting the initial values of fitting allows to resolve signals that are separated in time by less than the characteristic rise time. Processing of simulated pulses demonstrates that the lower limit of interval to distinguish successive events is 10 ns, which is a significant improvement to the previous works. The algorithm performs well under a counting rate of 6×107 s−1, and is still effective up to 108 s−1. Analysis of experimental data indicates that this algorithm recovers over 98% count yield under a counting rates of no more than 4×106 s−1 in this work, providing a more reliable approach to deduce neutron-induced reaction cross sections.

Final physical design of engineering materials diffractometer at the China spallation neutron source

Neutron diffraction is a widely utilized technique in detecting microstructures and residual strains in large-scale engineering components. In this study, we present the final physical design of an upcoming neutron diffractometer for engineering materials at the China Spallation Neutron Source. Our primary objective is to minimize the experimental time required for precise diffraction peak determination. To achieve this, the design includes a neutron transport system, a neutron wavelength selection system, a diffracted neutron optical system, and a resolution and intensity regulation system. Notably, we optimized the wavelength bandwidth specifically for scientific experiments, while the neutron flux or integrated peak intensity were optimized through careful considerations of neutron transport. Additionally, we placed great emphasis on ensuring the uniformity of the neutron phase space to enhance measurement accuracy. Moreover, we optimized the combinations of resolution and integrated peak intensity based on the best figure of merit. Consequently, we successfully developed an advanced diffractometer that is poised to offer new capabilities for engineering material studies.

Applications of programmable trim quadrupoles on beam commissioning for the CSNS RCS

The design goal of 100 kW beam power of the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) has been successfully achieved in 2020. In order to further increase the beam power more than 100 kW, a total of 16 programmable trim quadrupoles have been installed in the Rapid Cycling Synchrotron (RCS) of CSNS, to achieve accurate adjustment of betatron tunes, better control of twiss parameters, and restoration of lattice super-periodicity. In this paper, we describe the design and several important applications of the trim quadrupoles for beam commissioning in the CSNS RCS. The beam experiments show that the trim quadrupoles play a crucial role in increasing beam power above 100 kW.

Commissioning and operation of the transverse collimation system at the RCS of CSNS

In high-intensity proton synchrotrons, controlling beam loss during machine operation is crucial to prevent radiation damage. Uncontrolled beam loss poses a significant challenge in achieving higher beam intensity and power in these synchrotrons. The beam collimation system plays a vital role in removing halo particles and localizing beam loss, serving as a critical tool for controlling uncontrolled beam loss in high-intensity proton accelerators. To address the issue of uncontrolled beam loss, a two-stage transverse collimation system was designed at the rapid cycling synchrotron (RCS) of China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS). However, during the beam commissioning, it was found that the collimation efficiency was compromised due to the small ratio of the physical acceptance to the collimator acceptance and insufficient phase advances between the primary and secondary collimators. To address this issue, the designed two-stage collimator was modified to a one-stage collimator. Through optimization of the collimation system, the beam loss was effectively localized within the collimator area. As a result, CSNS achieved the design power of 100 kW with minimal uncontrolled beam loss.

An 8-channel low power ASIC for Helium-3 tube position sensitive neutron detectors

The majority of neutron spectrometers designated for use in the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) rely on position-sensitive detectors that utilize Helium-3 tube detector technology. To minimize the impact of air on neutron scattering experiments, detectors must be located inside a vacuum chamber. For these types of spectrometers, it is also advisable to house the readout electronics within the vacuum chamber to limit the number of feed-through cables required and enhance the signal-to-noise ratio. This paper proposes an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) dedicated to position-sensitive Helium-3 tube detectors, including front-end amplification, shaping module and readout driving buffer. The 8-channel chip, named HEROCV1 (HElium-3 ReadOut Circuits), achieves an input dynamic range from 10 fC to 1 pC, with a counting rate of up to 100 kHz. The equivalent noise charge (ENC) measurement is 1297e-@15pF, and the power consumption is less than 9.9 mW per channel. The ASIC has replaced the traditional front-end circuit based on discrete components, fundamentally addressing the issue of front-end power consumption and enabling the entire detector system to operate in a vacuum environment.

Optimization of polycapillary lens for neutron focusing

Using various neutron focusing techniques to obtain the focal spot with small size and high gain at the sample location is highly desired in micro-area analysis. Our previous work fully demonstrated the feasibility of polycapillary lenses in the field of neutron focusing; however, the focusing performance of the lens fell short of expectations. This study attempts to optimize the lens by adjusting the design parameters of the lens in order to achieve better focusing performance and higher gain. In addition, microscopic observations revealed that the previously developed lens has some defects in its microstructure, which are not conducive to neutron transmission. In this paper, a manual sorting process was added to the lens manufacturing process to obtain a lens with improved microstructure. The focusing performance of the optimized lens was tested using quasi-parallel neutron beams from China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS). The experimental results confirm the effectiveness of the optimization strategies, which has a significant guiding property on the development of lenses.

A scheme to extract the beam in advance and transverse beam distribution measurement for the CSNS RCS

The China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) is a large scientific facility for frontier research by using the medium energy protons bombardment of tungsten target to produce a large number of scattered neutrons. The rapid cycling synchrotron (RCS) adopts the single-turn fast extraction scheme to extract the proton beam with the energy of 1.6 GeV, and the extraction repetition frequency is 25 Hz. In order to optimize the painting distribution and reduce the beam loss in the beam commissioning, it is necessary to measure the transverse beam distribution during the injection and acceleration processes. In this paper, a scheme to extract the beam in advance is proposed which is performed by adjusting the extraction timing and extraction mode. By using this extraction mode, the beam can be extracted at different time and the transverse beam distribution can be measured by a multi-wire scanner located on the beam transport line from the RCS to the target. Then, the beam distribution at the desired position on the RCS can be deduced by using the beam transfer matrix.

OffSet measurements at Rapid Cycling Synchrotron in China Spallation Neutron Source

The Rapid Cycling Synchrotron(RCS) is the key part of the China Spallation Neutron Source(CSNS) with a repetition rate of 25 Hz. The lattice of the RCS is based on triplet cells with a superperiod of four. Due to the utilization of the trim quadrupoles in June 2021, the Beam Position Monitor(BPM) offsets have been carefully measured, and the beam operation is more stable. In this paper, we will review the preparation of BPM offsets measurements with the virtual accelerator and the experimental results in beam commissioning.

Development of μSR apparatuses for a pulsed muon source at China Spallation Neutron Source

Muon spin rotation/relaxation/resonance (μSR) spectroscopy uses highly polarized muons to study the microscopic magnetic structure and dynamics of condensed matter. In addition to the five existing muon facilities, the first Chinese muon source, the Muon station for sciEnce technoLOgy and inDustrY (MELODY), is planned to be constructed in Phase II of the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS). It aims to provide intense and pulsed muon beams to conduct μSR applications in multiple disciplines. The group from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) participated in the collaboration with the CSNS accelerator group for the construction of the muon source. The USTC group led the research and development (R&D) of the first-generation photomultiplier tube (PMT)-based μSR spectrometer, and the design of the second-generation silicon photomultiplier (SiPM)-based spectrometer. The PMT-based spectrometer is a 128-channel prototype to demonstrate and develop key detector and electronics technologies for the planned MELODY. After several iterative designs and updates of detectors and electronics, the spectrometer prototype achieved a 7-ns dead time, which can record more than 12 positrons per channel per pulse according to the ISIS running experience. Based on the technologies developed from the first-generation spectrometer, the second-generation spectrometer will use SiPMs to accommodate over 2500 detector units to make better use of muons in MELODY. The two generation developments of Chinese μSR spectrometers will greatly advance the construction of MELODY, and provide high-quality data for users to interpret material properties in the near future.

Calculation of radiation damage of key components of China Spallation Neutron Source II target station

China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) I project passed the national acceptance in 2018, and current beam power has reached 140 kW. In order to further improve the output neutron strength of the target station moderator, a 500 kW power upgrade plan has been proposed for CSNS II. The target station is an important part of the spallation neutron source. In the target station, a large number of neutrons are produced by the spallation reaction between high energy protons and the target, these neutrons are moderated by the moderator and become neutrons for neutron scattering experiments. During operation, the target and other key components such as the target container, the moderator reflector container, and the proton beam window are irradiated by high-flux and high-energy particles for a long time, which will result in serious radiation damage. It is important to assess the accumulated radiation damage during operation to determine the service life of each component. At present, the physical quantities used to evaluate the radiation damage degree of materials include displacement per atom (DPA), H and He production. In this work, the displacement damage cross sections of protons and neutrons and the H, He production cross sections for W, SS316 and Al-6061 materials are obtained by using PHITS. The effects of the Norgett-Robinson-Torrens (NRT) model and athermal recombination corrected (ARC) model on the calculation of displacement damage are analyzed. The results show that the cross section calculated based on ARC model is lower than that based on NRT model, because the NRT model does not take into account the resetting of the atoms before reaching thermodynamic equilibrium. On this basis, DPA, H and He production of the key components of the target station operating for 5000 h at a power of 500 kW are calculated by combining the baseline model of the second phase target station of the spallation neutron source in China. The results show that the yields of NRT-dpa, ARC-dpa, H and He produced by irradiation are 8.01 dpa/y (in this paper, 1 y = 2500 MW·h), 2.39 dpa/y, 5110 appm/y and 884 appm/y, respectively. The radiation damage values of the target vessel are 5.34 dpa/y, 1.92 dpa/y, 2180 appm/y and 334 appm/y, respectively. The radiation damage values of the moderators and reflectors are 3.78 dpa/y, 1.77 dpa/y, 124 appm/y, and 36.7 appm/y. The radiation damage values of the proton beam window are 0.35 dpa/y, 0.19 dpa/y, 962 appm/y, and 216 appm/y. Subsequently, the life of each component is estimated by analyzing the radiation damage. These results are very important for analyzing the radiation damage of these parts, and constructing reasonable maintenance programs.

Upgrade the impedance model in RCS of CSNS

The Rapid Cycling Synchrotron (RCS) in the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) is a high-intensity proton accelerator that is susceptible to collective instabilities and performance limitations due to its impedance. With impedance study of key components and new component installations, the impedance model should be updated. This article presents a comprehensive estimate of the coupling impedance and outlines the impedance model of the RCS.

Measurement and Analysis of the Intensity-dependent Effects on the CSNS Medium Energy Beam Transport line

A power upgrade project (CSNS-II) has been approved in 2021 to increase the beam power to 500 kW for the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS), for which the Linac energy will reach 300 MeV and the beam intensity is expected to be 50 mA. In this study, the beam measurement results given by the wire scanners at various current intensities, and the numerical modeling and fitting methods to obtain the evolution of the beam envelope and emittance along the CSNS medium energy beam transfer (MEBT) are given and discussed. Finally, new matching results have been given to control the emittance blowup.