High Energy Neutron Flux Research Articles

Cancer radiotherapy with mini neutron/gamma-ray generators

Recent advancements in negative hydrogen (H-) or negative deuterium (D-) ion source technology as well as the commercial availability of high-frequency AC high-voltage power supplies have enabled the development of mini neutron/gamma-ray generators using low-energy nuclear reactions. These generators can provide a useful flux of high-energy neutrons or gamma photons in either pulsed or continuous operations. With the new mini generator, intraoperative radiotherapy as well as treatment of tumors in the brain, skin, breast, salivary gland, pancreas, liver, and kidney can be performed using external or internal neutron/gamma-ray beams. The new radiotherapy system is very compact and requires very low power for operation, enabling its location inside an operation room of a hospital or clinical facility.

The Irradiation Effects in Ferritic, Ferritic-Martensitic and Austenitic Oxide Dispersion Strengthened Alloys: A Review.

High-performance structural materials (HPSMs) are needed for the successful and safe design of fission and fusion reactors. Their operation is associated with unprecedented fluxes of high-energy neutrons and thermomechanical loadings. In fission reactors, HPSMs are used, e.g., for fuel claddings, core internal structural components and reactor pressure vessels. Even stronger requirements are expected for fourth-generation supercritical water fission reactors, with a particular focus on the HPSM's corrosion resistance. The first wall and blanket structural materials in fusion reactors are subjected not only to high energy neutron irradiation, but also to strong mechanical, heat and electromagnetic loadings. This paper presents a historical and state-of-the-art summary focused on the properties and application potential of irradiation-resistant alloys predominantly strengthened by an oxide dispersion. These alloys are categorized according to their matrix as ferritic, ferritic-martensitic and austenitic. Low void swelling, high-temperature He embrittlement, thermal and irradiation hardening and creep are typical phenomena most usually studied in ferritic and ferritic martensitic oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) alloys. In contrast, austenitic ODS alloys exhibit an increased corrosion and oxidation resistance and a higher creep resistance at elevated temperatures. This is why the advantages and drawbacks of each matrix-type ODS are discussed in this paper.

Fission counter array for pulse-mode measurements of high-flux and high-energy neutrons

This manuscript describes a neutron counting system based on cylindrical fission counters that can monitor neutron activity for high-energy neutron flux above 10 MeV under electrically noisy environments with intense gamma rays. Miniature fission counters with depleted uranium as sensitive material and modular electronics were built for digital signal processing and high-countrate operation. The counters are 9.5 mm in diameter and 71.1 mm in active length. The author presents the results of Monte Carlo simulations of the fission-counter response for selected neutron sources and energies based on ENDF7.1, JENDL-5, and TENDL-2021 nuclear data libraries from 1 meV to 200 MeV. For a white neutron beam (E‾ = 16.36 MeV) that irradiates the front face of a counter, the intrinsic efficiency is evaluated to be (2.24 ± 0.02) × 10−5 counts/n, while the efficiency of the counter in the array appears to increase by at most 6.7%.

IFMIF/EVEDA achievements overview

In a fusion reactor, the plasma based on a deuterium-tritium reaction generates high energy neutron flux interacting with the materials of the plasma facing components. In order to study the irradiated behavior of these materials, the International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility (IFMIF) was conceived to generate these fusion relevant neutrons through d-Li stripping source. IFMIF is presently in its Engineering Validation and Engineering Design Activities (EVEDA) phase under the Broader Approach agreement signed between EURATOM and Japanese Government in 2007. This agreement mandates the IFMIF/EVEDA project to validate the design of the different systems of IFMIF and to produce an integrated engineering design of IFMIF, together with the data necessary for future decisions on its construction and operation. While the Engineering Validation Activity (EVA) of the Lithium Target Facility and the Test Facility was completed by constructing prototypes, the EVA of the Accelerator Facility with the Linear IFMIF Prototype Accelerator (LIPAc) is still on-going at the Rokkasho Fusion Institute, Japan. This paper overviews the achievements in the previous phase ended on 31 March 2020 and the progress in the current phase to complete the commissioning of the LIPAc.

Application of the MELCOR for Fusion Code to the Transient Accident Analysis of the IFMIF-DONES Test Cell

According to the European Fusion Roadmap, to demonstrate the feasibility of fusion energy, it is necessary to build a comprehensive database of materials properties to be used in future fusion power plants. This is the objective of the IFMIF-DONES facility, which will drive a deuteron beam on a liquid lithium target to produce high energy neutron fluxes for irradiating candidate fusion materials. Among the several ongoing activities in the frame of the EUROfusion Early Neutron Source Work Package (WPENS) project, deterministic accident analyses play an important role, since they help identifying a set of reference accident scenarios and related safety class components. Some of these scenarios are being studied with the MELCOR-fusion code, an integrated engineering code which is able to perform thermal-hydraulic transient calculations. In this work, the MELCOR-fusion code has been applied to two potential accident scenarios involving the degradation of the primary lithium loop of IFMIF-DONES. A rupture in the Quench Tank and a break in the inlet nozzle to the Target Vacuum Chamber were postulated as the two initiating events followed by a lithium spill into the Test Cell room. The purpose of this study was to obtain different key metrics, such as the maximum pressure and temperature loads reached in the TC room, the amount of the leaked lithium mass, and the time for lithium solidification. The computed results will help identify the safety requirements to be applied to the final design of the TC room.

Calculation of the high-energy neutron flux for anticipating errors and recovery techniques in exascale supercomputer centres

The age of exascale computing has arrived and the risks associated with neutron and other atmospheric radiation are becoming more critical as the computing power increases, hence, the expected Mean Time Between Failures will be reduced because of this radiation. In this work, a new and detailed calculation of the neutron flux for energies above 50 MeV is presented. This has been done by using state-of-the-art Monte Carlo astroparticle techniques and including real atmospheric profiles at each one of the next 23 exascale supercomputing facilities. Atmospheric impact in the flux and seasonal variations were observed and characterised, and the barometric coefficient for high-energy neutrons at each site was obtained. With these coefficients, potential risks of errors associated with the increase in the flux of energetic neutrons, such as the occurrence of single event upsets or transients, and the corresponding failure-in-time rates, can be anticipated just by using the atmospheric pressure before the assignation of resources to critical tasks at each exascale facility. For more clarity, examples about how the rate of failures is affected by the cosmic rays are included, so administrators will better anticipate which more or less restrictive actions could take for overcoming errors.

Long Range Optical Distance Sensors for Liquid Metal Free Surface Detection

For the demonstration of fusion power plant technology, DEMO dedicated materials are necessary to cope with the harsh environment of high energy neutrons. For this purpose, the international neutron irradiation facility for fusion materials IFMIF/DEMO Oriented Neutron Source (DONES) is planned to be built in Granda, Spain. In the DONES facility, a deuteron beam hitting the lithium target produces a high energy neutron flux. Due to the high-power density, the windowless target is a free surface liquid lithium flow in a duct with a concave backplate. In order to keep the heat released by the beam within the liquid lithium and to avoid its intrusion in the backplate, a stable configuration of the free surface flow with a setpoint layer thickness of 25 ± 1 mm is crucial. In particular, stable wave structures, so called wakes, which occur from accumulated impurities at the nozzle edge, can cause a critical local decrease in the layer thickness of more than 1 mm. Therefore, it is necessary to better understand the nature of these wakes and to be able to monitor the surface profile to shut down the beam in case of a critical thickness loss, but to avoid unintended shutdowns. In the context of this work, currently available optical sensors were tested on their capability of detecting a specular liquid metal surface at measurement distances of several meters. After an initial selection, two optical sensors were further considered. Experiments with the liquid metal alloy GaInSn and simulations with the software Blender of the selected optical sensors for their capability of measuring distances of liquid metal were conducted. The results showed a significant dependency of the measurement results on the waviness of the liquid metal surface. Nevertheless, it was possible to resolve the wavy liquid metal surface with a sufficient resolution to detect critical wake structures.

Estimation of the neutron production of KSTAR based on empirical scaling law of the fast ion stored energy and ion density under NBI power and machine size upgrade

Deuterium-tritium reaction is the most promising one in term of the highest nuclear fusion cross-section for the reactor. So it is one of urgent issues to develop materials and components that are simultaneously resistant to high heat flux and high energy neutron flux in realization of the fusion energy. 2.45 MeV neutron production was reported in D-D reaction in KSTAR and regarded as beam-target is the dominant process. The feasibility study of KSTAR to wide area neutron source facility is done in term of D-D and D-T reactions from the empirical scaling law from the mixed fast and thermal stored energy and its projection to cases of heating power upgrade and DT reaction is done.

NUCLEAR DATA V&V ANALYSIS FOR FUSION APPLICATIONS: INTEGRAL BENCHMARKS AND DECAY DATA

A reliable estimation of the operational parameters is one of the primary concerns in the design of magnetic fusion devices such as ITER and DEMO. Methods of diagnostics and control over the critical plasma parameters determining its stability and efficiency rely on the high-energy neutron field monitoring. Extreme operational environment, such as high-energy neutron flux, electromagnetic radiation, and high temperatures might reduce the performance of the detector systems. Therefore, research and development activities in detector prototyping are carried out to address this problem. To predict the performance of the detector materials, simulations using the latest releases of the nuclear data libraries as input for the inventory codes are carried out. This paper describes the latest validation and verification (V&V) benchmark exercise for FISPACT-II & TENDL-2017 based on the fusion decay heat measurements performed at the Japanese FNS facility for the materials in the diagnostic components for the radiation measurements. The breakdown of decay-heat contributions from individual radionuclides have been employed to interpret the simulated results, benchmark the data against the experimental measurements, and revise the neutron-induced reactions cross-section and decay data for the associated radionuclides for the upcoming release of the TENDL-2019 nuclear data library.

Average High-energy Neutron Flux Distribution in the Quinta Sub-critical Assembly Irradiated with Proton Beam of 0.66 GeV Energy Applying the Actinide Spectral Index Method

Average High-energy Neutron Flux Distribution in the Quinta Sub-critical Assembly Irradiated with Proton Beam of 0.66 GeV Energy Applying the Actinide Spectral Index Method

A detailed study of the high energy neutron flux (15-20 MeV) at NCSR “Demokritos” using a BC501A liquid scintillator

The current study was carried out for neutron beam energies ranging between 14.8 and 19.2 MeV using the 3H(d,n)4He reaction and included neutron/gamma discrimination and neutron monitoring utilizing a BC501A liquid scintillator, followed by a pulse shape discrimination-capable circuit. Tests were conducted in order to determine the characteristics and limitations of the employed experimental setup. The deconvolution of the acquired spectra was performed using the DIFBAS computer code. The algorithm is based on the Bayesian conditional probability,whilethe covariance filter method was employed to calculate the a posteriori neutron flux spectrum along with its covariance matrix.The produced neutron beam proved to be practically monoenergetic for low energy deuterons, while at higher deuteron beam energies, the strong presence of parasitic and scattered neutrons was revealed.

Ductile to brittle transition in ITER specification tungsten assessed by combined fracture toughness and bending tests analysis

The evaluation of the fracture toughness of tungsten is required for the design of plasma-facing components in order to ensure safe and durable operation in ITER reactor, being under construction in France. During operation, plasma facing materials will be exposed to cyclic thermo-mechanical loads combined with high energy neutron flux, which, in general, reduce the fracture toughness. Characterization of the degradation of the mechanical properties after exposure to the neutron flux involves time consuming and expensive procedures due to nuclear activation and special handling. Subsequently, development of sample miniaturization and protocols to reduce the volume of material under inspection is critical to speed up the progress in R&D. In this work, we propose a combined approach for the reconstruction of the fracture toughness – temperature curve, which is applied in the ductile to brittle transition temperature range. The approach consists of two steps: (i) application of the three point bending tests using miniaturized samples to reveal the transition temperature range on the basis of flexural strain data; (ii) execution of standardized fracture toughness tests at the upper temperature of the transition regime. The results allow the determination of the fracture toughness as a function of temperature with a reasonable accuracy. The validity of the approach has been demonstrated on two commercial tungsten grades produced according to ITER specification and tested in the as-fabricated state. The conclusions are supported by microstructural analysis performed on both standardized and miniaturized samples.

The pulsed subcritical amplifier of neutron flux driven by high-intensity neutron generator

The subcritical reactor driven by external neutron source could apply as useful instrument for modern nuclear energy applications requiring high-level irradiation of different materials by the high-energy and high-intense neutron flux (e. g., nuclear waste transmutation, radiopharmaceutical production, etc.). The propagation of neutron pulses through the subcritical nuclear system was considered in the present paper. Simple homogeneous subcritical systems and a model of two-zone subcritical reactor were computationally investigated using Monte Carlo MCNP4c transport code. The propagation of one initial neutron pulse and series of one hundred neutron pulses through the presented subcritical nuclear models were simulated. In this study, the neutron multiplication factor, the neutron flux, the energy amplification factor, the total energy of neutrons in initial pulse, etc. were obtained and analyzed. The presented calculations have shown that the considered pulse subcritical systems can be successfully used as effective amplifiers of neutron flux from the initial source. The modeling results indicate that there is an achievement of a stable, high level of neutron flux caused by the accumulation of delayed neutrons from previous pulses in series of one hundred pulses for both homogeneous and heterogeneous systems.

In-Pile Qualification of a Fast-Neutron-Detection-System

In order to ensure the quality and the relevance of irradiation programs in the future Jules Horowitz Reactor (JHR), the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) has significantly increased its research and development effort in the field of in-pile instrumentation during the last decade. Major progress has been achieved in the capability to perform accurate in-pile measurements using reliable and updated techniques. A significant part of this effort has been conducted in the framework of the Joint Instrumentation Laboratory between the CEA and the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK $\cdot$ CEN). In order to improve measurement techniques for neutron flux assessment, a unique system for online measurement of fast neutron flux has been developed and recently qualified in-pile. The fast-neutron-detection-system (FNDS) has been designed to monitor accurately high-energy neutron flux (E > 1 MeV) in typical material testing reactor (MTR) conditions, where neutron flux levels can be as high as $10^{15}\,\,\text {N}\cdot \text {cm}^{-2}\cdot \text {s}^{-1}$ and are generally dominated by thermal neutrons. Moreover, the neutron flux is coupled with a high gamma flux of typically a few $10^{15} \gamma \cdot \text {cm}^{-2}\cdot \text {s}^{-1}$ , which can be highly disturbing for the online measurement of neutron fluxes. The patented FNDS system is based on two detectors allowing the simultaneous detection of both thermal- and fast-neutron flux. Thermal neutrons can be measured using a self-powered neutron detector or a 235U miniature fission chamber, while fast neutron detection requires a miniature fission chamber with a special fissile material presenting an energy threshold near 1 MeV, which can be 242Pu for MTR conditions. Fission chambers are operated in Campbelling mode for an efficient gamma rejection. FNDS also includes a specific software that processes measurements to compensate online the fissile material depletion and to adjust the sensitivity of the detectors, in order to produce a precise evaluation of both thermal and fast neutron flux even after long-term irradiation. FNDS has been validated through a two-step experimental program. A first set of tests was performed at BR2 reactor operated by SCK $\cdot$ CEN in Belgium. Two FNDS prototypes were operated in-pile during nearly 1000 h. These tests exhibited the consistency of the measurement of thermal to fast neutron flux ratio with Monte Carlo neutron and photon transport calculations, as well as the right compensation of fissile material depletion. This paper describes a second test recently completed at ISIS reactor operated by CEA in France. For this irradiation, FNDS signal was compared to reference thermal- and fast-neutron flux measurements using activation dosimeters analyzed under COFRAC Quality Certification. During this latter test, FNDS proved its ability to measure online the fast neutron flux with an overall accuracy better than 5%. FNDS is now operational and is assumed to be the first and unique acquisition system able to provide an online measurement of the fast neutron flux in MTR conditions. This system will be used to perform spectral neutron characterization of JHR channels, but it may also be implemented in future irradiation experiments, for a better and real-time evaluation of the fast neutron flux received by material and fuel samples.

Radiation Damage Tests on Diamond and Scintillation Detector Components for the ITER Radial Neutron Camera

During the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) reactor operation time, the plasma will give rise to high energy neutron and gamma flux, and this intense radiation field will result in serious radiation damage and activation effects on various detectors components. In this paper, neutron detector candidates for the ITER radial neutron camera (RNC), i.e., scintillator components [crystal and plastic scintillators, optical windows, and photomultipliers (PMTs)] and single-crystal diamond detectors, were investigated to establish their radiation hardness and stability under gamma irradiation. Radiation test was carried out at the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development Calliope plant (Casaccia R.C., Rome, Italy). The facility is a pool-type irradiation plant equipped with a 60Co source (energy = 1.25 MeV). Gamma radiation tests were performed in the dark and at room temperature for different total absorbed doses, as required for the application in ITER RNC. Scintillators, PMTs, and optical windows were irradiated up to around 100-kGy absorbed dose, while single-crystal diamond detectors up to around 5 MGy. Scintillators and optical windows transmittance measurements were performed in the UV-VIS range (300–700 nm), paying particular attention to the behavior at 390 and 420 nm (scintillating emission wavelengths). Samples were measured in the dark before and after irradiation and their performances were monitored at room temperature for some weeks in order to study the damage recovery in different conditions. For plastic scintillators, photobleaching and optical bleaching followed by thermal annealing processes in air were made to reduce the radiation damage. Quantum efficiency measurements were performed on the PMTs, and the pulse-height spectra and pulse shape capability of the scintillators were investigated by using gamma and neutron sources. The most relevant results of this paper concern the radiation damage observed in scintillators and diamond detectors. The crystalline scintillator sample showed much less radiation resistance than plastic scintillators. A strong damage to the silver deposition of the diamond contacts was observed already at 1.0 MGy, almost leading to contact destruction at 4.7 MGy.

Measurement of High-Energy Neutron Flux Above Ground Utilizing a Spallation Based Multiplicity Technique

Cosmogenic high-energy neutrons are a ubiquitous, difficult to shield, poorly measured background. Above ground the high-energy neutron energy-dependent flux has been measured, with significantly varying results. Below ground, high-energy neutron fluxes are largely unmeasured. Here we present a reconstruction algorithm to unfold the incident neutron energy-dependent flux measured using the Multiplicity and Recoil Spectrometer (MARS), simulated test cases to verify the algorithm, and provide a new measurement of the above ground high-energy neutron energy-dependent flux with a detailed systematic uncertainty analysis. Uncertainty estimates are provided based upon the measurement statistics, the incident angular distribution, the surrounding environment of the Monte Carlo model, and the MARS triggering efficiency. Quantified systematic uncertainty is dominated by the assumed incident neutron angular distribution and surrounding environment of the Monte Carlo model. The energy-dependent neutron flux between 90 MeV and 400 MeV is reported. Between 90 MeV and 250 MeV the MARS results are comparable to previous Bonner sphere measurements. Over the total energy regime measured, the MARS result are located within the span of previous measurements. These results demonstrate the feasibility of future below ground measurements with MARS.

Design of a transportable high efficiency fast neutron spectrometer

A transportable fast neutron detection system has been designed and constructed for measuring neutron energy spectra and flux ranging from tens to hundreds of MeV. The transportability of the spectrometer reduces the detector-related systematic bias between different neutron spectra and flux measurements, which allows for the comparison of measurements above or below ground. The spectrometer will measure neutron fluxes that are of prohibitively low intensity compared to the site-specific background rates targeted by other transportable fast neutron detection systems.To measure low intensity high-energy neutron fluxes, a conventional capture-gating technique is used for measuring neutron energies above 20MeV and a novel multiplicity technique is used for measuring neutron energies above 100MeV. The spectrometer is composed of two Gd containing plastic scintillator detectors arranged around a lead spallation target. To calibrate and characterize the position dependent response of the spectrometer, a Monte Carlo model was developed and used in conjunction with experimental data from gamma ray sources. Multiplicity event identification algorithms were developed and used with a Cf-252 neutron multiplicity source to validate the Monte Carlo model Gd concentration and secondary neutron capture efficiency. The validated Monte Carlo model was used to predict an effective area for the multiplicity and capture gating analyses. For incident neutron energies between 100MeV and 1000MeV with an isotropic angular distribution, the multiplicity analysis predicted an effective area of 500cm2 rising to 5000cm2. For neutron energies above 20MeV, the capture-gating analysis predicted an effective area between 1800cm2 and 2500cm2. The multiplicity mode was found to be sensitive to the incident neutron angular distribution.

Measurement of the High Energy Neutron Flux on the Surface of the Natural Uranium Target Assembly QUINTA Irradiated by Deuterons of 4 and 8 GeV Energy

Experiments with the natural uranium target assembly “QUINTA” exposed to 4 and 8GeV deuteron beams of the Nuclotron accelerator at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (Dubna) are analyzed. The reaction rates of 27Al(n,y1)24Na, 27Al(n,y2)22Na and 27Al(n,y3)7Be reactions with effective threshold energies of 5, 27, and 119 MeV were measured at both 4GeV and 8GeV deuteron beam energies. The average neutron fluxes between the effective threshold energies and the effective ends of the neutron spectra (which are 800 or 1000 MeV for 4 or 8GeV deuterons) were determined. The evidence for the intensity shift of the neutron spectra to higher neutron energies with the increase of the deuteron energy from 4GeV to 8GeV was found from the ratios of the average neutron fluxes. The reaction rates and the average neutron fluxes were calculated with the MCNPX 2.7 code.

The COsmic-ray Soil Moisture Interaction Code (COSMIC) for use in data assimilation

Abstract. Soil moisture status in land surface models (LSMs) can be updated by assimilating cosmic-ray neutron intensity measured in air above the surface. This requires a fast and accurate model to calculate the neutron intensity from the profiles of soil moisture modeled by the LSM. The existing Monte Carlo N-Particle eXtended (MCNPX) model is sufficiently accurate but too slow to be practical in the context of data assimilation. Consequently an alternative and efficient model is needed which can be calibrated accurately to reproduce the calculations made by MCNPX and used to substitute for MCNPX during data assimilation. This paper describes the construction and calibration of such a model, COsmic-ray Soil Moisture Interaction Code (COSMIC), which is simple, physically based and analytic, and which, because it runs at least 50 000 times faster than MCNPX, is appropriate in data assimilation applications. The model includes simple descriptions of (a) degradation of the incoming high-energy neutron flux with soil depth, (b) creation of fast neutrons at each depth in the soil, and (c) scattering of the resulting fast neutrons before they reach the soil surface, all of which processes may have parameterized dependency on the chemistry and moisture content of the soil. The site-to-site variability in the parameters used in COSMIC is explored for 42 sample sites in the COsmic-ray Soil Moisture Observing System (COSMOS), and the comparative performance of COSMIC relative to MCNPX when applied to represent interactions between cosmic-ray neutrons and moist soil is explored. At an example site in Arizona, fast-neutron counts calculated by COSMIC from the average soil moisture profile given by an independent network of point measurements in the COSMOS probe footprint are similar to the fast-neutron intensity measured by the COSMOS probe. It was demonstrated that, when used within a data assimilation framework to assimilate COSMOS probe counts into the Noah land surface model at the Santa Rita Experimental Range field site, the calibrated COSMIC model provided an effective mechanism for translating model-calculated soil moisture profiles into aboveground fast-neutron count when applied with two radically different approaches used to remove the bias between data and model.

The European contribution to the development and validation activities for the design of IFMIF lithium facility

The International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility (IFMIF) is an accelerator-driven intense neutron source where candidate materials for fusion reactors will be tested and validated. The high energy neutron flux is produced by means of two deuteron beams (total current of 250mA, energy of 40MeV) that strikes a liquid lithium target circulating in a lithium loop of IFMIF plant. The European (EU) contribution to the development of the lithium facility comprises five procurement packages, as follow: (1) participation to the experimental activities of the EVEDA lithium test loop in Oarai (Japan); (2) study aimed at evaluating the corrosion and erosion phenomena, promoted by lithium, for structural fusion reference materials like AISI 316L and Eurofer; (3) design and validation of the lithium purification method with the aim to provide input data for the design of the purification system of IFIMF lithium loop; (4) design and validation of the remote handling (RH) procedures for the refurbishment/replacement of the EU concept of IFMIF target assembly including the design of the remote handling tools; (5) the engineering design of the European target assembly for IFMIF and the safety and RAMI analyses for the entire IFMIF lithium facility.The paper gives an overview of the status of the activities and of the main outcomes achieved so far.