On the theory of pneumotransport of beads in cold neutron moderator of the IBR-2 reactor

The paper presents some aspects of pneumotransport theory of solid ball motion along a pipeline of complex geometry having application for the pelletized cold moderator of the IBR-2 reactor. Motion equations for a ball carrying by gas flow along a round tube both smooth and rough, are obtained. Aerodynamics forces and momentum of forces, acting on the ball depending on its velocity are defined on the base of numerical modeling of ball movement, and analytical simplified model of pneumotransport of balls along round tube is created. This model meets the demand for practical application as it shows satisfactory agreement with experimental modelling of ball movement in a glass tube. One of important results of the work is giving proofs of irregular movement of ball along a tube stipulated by roughness of the tube side.     

Cold neutron moderator on an upgraded IBR-2 reactor: The first set of results

The first criticality of a new KZ-202 neutron moderator on the IBR-2M reactor is achieved. The moderator consists of thermal and cold units. The former is a room-temperature comb water moderator; the latter, a moderator using a mixture of aromatic hydrocarbons (mesitylene and m-xylene). The cold moderator is filled with granules of this mixture, which are supplied by a cold helium flow, and operates at 30 K. The combination of two units in one moderator makes it possible to simultaneously take the thermal and cold neutron spectra for extracted-beam spectrometers. The arrangement of the thermal and cold moderators is numerically optimized by the Monte Carlo method. The use of the cold moderator allows a 13-fold increase in the cold neutron intensity from its surface.     

Analysis of neutron spectra and fluxes obtained with cold and thermal moderators at IBR-2 reactor: Experimental and computer-modeling studies

The results of experimental and computer-modeling investigations of neutron spectra and fluxes obtained with cold and thermal moderators at the IBR-2 reactor (Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR), Dubna) are presented. These studies are for the YuMO small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) spectrometer (IBR-2 beamline 4). The neutron spectra have been measured for two methane cold moderators for the standard configuration of the SANS instrument. The data from both moderators under different conditions of their operation are compared. The ratio of experimentally determined neutron fluxes of cold and thermal moderators is shown at different wavelengths. Monte Carlo simulations have been carried out to determine the spectra for cold-methane and thermal moderators. The results of calculations of the ratio of neutron fluxes of cold and thermal moderators at different wavelengths are demonstrated. In addition, the absorption of neutrons in the air gaps on the way from the moderator to the investigated sample is presented. SANS with the protein apoferritin was done with both cold methane and a thermal moderator and the data were compared. The prospects for the use of a cold moderator for a SANS spectrometer at IBR-2 are discussed. The advantages of using the YuMO spectrometer with a thermal moderator with respect to the tested cold moderator are shown.     

Current status of advanced pelletized cold moderators development for IBR-2M research reactor

The world’s first advanced pelletized cold neutron moderator is prepared to be put into operation at the IBR-2M pulsed research reactor. It provides long-wavelength neutrons to the most of neutron spectrometers at the beams of the IBR-2M reactor. Aromatic hydrocarbons are used as a material for cold moderators. It is a very attractive material because of its high radiation resistance, good moderating properties, incombustibility, etc. It is shown that the idea of beads transport by a helium flow at cryogenic temperatures is successful. The recent progress and plans for moderator development at the IBR-2M reactor as well as the experimental results of beads transport are discussed in the paper.     

Application of a cryogenic moderator in the REMUR neutron reflectometer

Examples of the application of a cryogenic moderator in the REMUR time-of-flight neutron reflectometer of the IBR-2 pulsed reactor (Dubna) are given. The results of two experiments are presented: spatial beam splitting upon reflection from a magnetically noncollinear film and the recording of a microbeam formed by a layered waveguide. A conclusion concerning the efficiency of the cryogenic moderator for experiments of this type is made.     

Project of the ultracold and cold neutron source at the WWR-M reactor with superfluid helium as a moderator

The WWR-M reactor of the Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute provides a unique opportunity for creating conditions of low radiative heat release (～4 × 10^?3 W/g) at a sufficiently high neutron flux (～3 × 10¹² neutrons/(cm² s)). This opportunity can be implemented in the reactor thermal column, which represents a 1-m-diameter channel adjacent to the reactor core. This diameter of the channel allows the arrangement of the core gamma shielding made of bismuth (15 cm thick), a graphite premoderator (300 dm³) at a temperature of 20 K, and a converter with superfluid helium (35 dm³) at a temperature of 1.2 K. Calculations show that the heat release in the source (20 W) can be removed by pumping helium vapor, and the density of ultracold neutrons in an experimental trap will be ～10⁴ neutrons/cm³, which is higher than that of existing sources of ultracold neutrons by two to three orders of magnitude.     

On the use of a composite moderator at the IBR-2 reactor: Advantages for the neutron-diffraction texture analysis of rocks

A unique cold moderator based on a mixture of mesitylene and m-xylene is developed for the IBR-2 pulsed reactor. If combined with a standard warm-water moderator, it provides a high neutron flux in a wide wavelength range. The advantages of the use of this composite moderator in neutron-diffraction texture analysis are discussed using the example of a sample of slate (formed from five minerals) studied using the SKAT diffractometer. The diffraction data obtained in experiments with warm-water and composite moderators are compared.     

Measurement of prompt neutron generation time at the VIR-2M pulsed nuclear reactor

The prompt neutron generation time is measured in the core of the VIR-2M research nuclear reactor. The measurements are performed using the Babala method while the reactor is in the subcritical state. The VIR-2M reactor and the relevant experimental equipment are briefly described, and the experimental procedure and data processing technique are presented. It is shown that the prompt neutron generation time with empty experimental channels is 35 ± 1 μs.     

New versions of instrument tuning program and visualization of spectra for reflectometers at the IBR-2 reactor

This article is devoted to the main features of the tuning program (ICE) and the spectra visualization program (SpectraViewer) used at reflectometers of the IBR-2, Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, (FLNP JINR). The ICE program is implemented as an add-on for the control of Sonix+ software and is designed to adjust the instrument before the main measurement. The SpectraViewer program is also used on other instruments. Programs have been written using the PyQt and the graphics library matplotlib. The work has been carried out at the FLNP JINR.     

Automation of the quantitative determination of elemental content in samples using neutron activation analysis on the IBR-2 reactor at the frank laboratory for neutron physics, joint institute for nuclear research

Software for the automated quantitative determination of element concentrations in samples is described. This software is used in neutron activation analysis (NAA) at the IBR-2 reactor of the Frank Laboratory for Neutron Physics, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (FLNP JINR).     

Neutron research using the IVV-2M reactor

Methods based on using thermal and fast neutron fluxes provide a unique opportunity to acquire scientific information. Radiation disordering in materials, being a consequence of their exploitation in special applications, can be used as an effective approach to bring a material to a state often unachievable by any other method. From the crystal response to the respective action, one can obtain unique information on the crystal’s electron and lattice subsystems, which are responsible for the physical properties of materials in the initial (nonirradiated) state.     

Measurement of inclusive neutron spectra at the ISR

With a total absorption counter, inclusive neutron spectra have been measured at four ISR energies and at angles of 20, 66 and 119 mrad. The spectra show scaling behavior in the variables x and p⊥. Pion exchange is found to be important at large x values.     

Measurements of effective delayed neutron fraction in a fast neutron reactor using the perturbation method

A perturbation method is proposed to obtain the effective delayed neutron fraction β_(eff) of a cylindrical highly enriched uranium reactor.Based on reactivity measurements with and without a sample at a specified position using the positive period technique,the reactor reactivity perturbation △ρ of the sample in β_(eff) units is measured.Simulations of the perturbation experiments are performed using the MCNP program.The PERT card is used to provide the difference dκ of effective neutron multiplication factors with and without the sample inside the reactor.Based on the relationship between the effective multiplication factor and the reactivity,the equation β~(eff)=dκ/△ρ is derived.In this paper,the reactivity perturbations of 13 metal samples at the designable position of the reactor are measured and calculated.The average β_(eff) value of the reactor is given as 0.00645,and the standard uncertainty is 3.0%.Additionally,the perturbation experiments for β_(eff) can be used to evaluate the reliabilities of the delayed neutron parameters.This work shows that the delayed neutron data of ~(235)U and ~(238)U from G.R.Keepin's publication are more reliable than those from ENDF-B6.0.ENDF-B7.0,JENDL3.3 and CENDL2.2.     

Measurement of the neutron lifetime using a proton trap

We report a new measurement of the neutron decay lifetime by the absolute counting of in-beam neutrons and their decay protons. Protons were confined in a quasi-Penning trap and counted with a silicon detector. The neutron beam fluence was measured by capture in a thin 6LiF foil detector with known absolute efficiency. The combination of these simultaneous measurements gives the neutron lifetime: tau(n)=(886.8+/-1.2[stat]+/-3.2[syst]) s. The systematic uncertainty is dominated by uncertainties in the mass of the 6LiF deposit and the 6Li(n,t) cross section. This is the most precise measurement of the neutron lifetime to date using an in-beam method.     

Neutron diffractometer for real-time studies of transient processes at the IBR-2 pulsed reactor

A specialized diffractometer intended for use in studying real-time transient processes in condensed media, which also allows the recording of Bragg diffraction and small-angle neutron scattering spectra, has been created at the Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research. Frequently, only the given formulation of the experiment with the continuous recording of information on the process enables us to obtain data required for the correct interpretation of events. One of the crucial parameters of such experiments is the minimal time interval in which sufficient statistics can be acquired. The diffractometer parameters make it possible to measure diffraction and small-angle spectra within minute and even second (for certain types of transition processes) ranges. The possibilities of neutron scattering are discussed as applied to the study of transient processes, the diffractometer design is described, and its main characteristics and the test experiment results are presented.     

Automation system for measurement of gamma-ray spectra of induced activity for multi-element high volume neutron activation analysis at the reactor IBR-2 of Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics at the joint institute for nuclear research

The automation system for measurement of induced activity of gamma-ray spectra for multi-element high volume neutron activation analysis (NAA) was designed, developed and implemented at the reactor IBR-2 at the Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics. The system consists of three devices of automatic sample changers for three Canberra HPGe detector-based gamma spectrometry systems. Each sample changer consists of two-axis of linear positioning module M202A by DriveSet company and disk with 45 slots for containers with samples. Control of automatic sample changer is performed by the Xemo S360U controller by Systec company. Positioning accuracy can reach 0.1 mm. Special software performs automatic changing of samples and measurement of gamma spectra at constant interaction with the NAA database.     

New generation of data acquisition and data storage systems of the IBR-2 reactor spectrometers complex

The paper presents an overview of works on the creation of data acquisition and data storage systems, which have been carried out in the Department of the IBR-2 spectrometers complex (DCS) of the Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics (FLNP) over the past 15 years (before, during, and after the modernization of the IBR-2 reactor). These systems represent a unified set of identical (from the viewpoint of hardware) modules limited in type but functionally complete, wherein distinctions in parameters, functional capabilities, encoding, correction and preliminary data processing procedures specific to each spectrometer are realized on the level of microprograms, electronic tables, and integrated software control system.     

Application of solid state track recorders for neutron spectra measurements in a reactor irradiation facility

Abstract

In connection with the IAEA-neutron seed irradiation Programme, a standard neutron irradiation facility has been constructed. The application of solid state track recorders for fast neutron spectra measurements inside this facility is discussed. Fissionable targets of ²³⁵U, ²³⁹Pu, ²³⁷Np, ²³⁸W and ²³²Th will be used, an approximative solution for the incident neutron spectrum will be obtained by a five-group method.