Measurement of cold neutron spectra using a model cryogenic moderator of the IBR-2M reactor

The method and results of an experiment to determine the cold neutron spectrum from solid mesitylene at moderator temperatures of 10–50 K are presented. This study was performed at the DIN-2PI spectrometer of the IBR-2 reactor. The objective of the study was to verify the system of constants used in the Monte Carlo simulation of cryogenic neutron moderators of the IBR-2M reactor and to obtain the cold neutron yield as a function of the moderator temperature. Satisfactory agreement between the experimental and calculated neutron spectra at a mesitylene temperature of 20 K has been obtained; the ratio of cold neutron intensities at 10 and 50 K is ∼1.8.     

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.     

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.     

Neutron radiography and tomography facility at IBR-2 reactor

An experimental station for investigations using neutron radiography and tomography was developed at the upgraded high-flux pulsed IBR-2 reactor. The 20 × 20 cm neutron beam is formed by the system of collimators with the characteristic parameter L/D varying from 200 to 2000. The detector system is based on a ⁶LiF/ZnS scintillation screen; images are recorded using a high-sensitivity video camera based on the high-resolution CCD matrix. The results of the first neutron radiography and tomography experiments at the developed facility are presented.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

Condensed matter research at the modernized IBR-2 reactor: from functional materials to nanobiotechnologies

An overview of the main scientific areas of condensed matter research, which are extended with the use of the IBR-2 high-flux research reactor, is presented. It is demonstrated that the spectrometer facility of the upgraded reactor has great potential for studying the structural, magnetic, and dynamical properties of novel functional materials and nanobiosystems, which ensures the leading position of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in neutron research of condensed matter for the long-term prospect.     

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.     

Comparative measurements of thermal neutron fluxes at ground level at the baksan neutrino observatory and LGNS laboratory

Thermal neutron fluxes were measured using two types of scintillation detectors based on the inorganic scintillator ZnS(Ag): ⁶LiF+ZnS(Ag) and ¹⁰B₂O₃ + KCl+ZnS(Ag). The preliminary results from these measurements are given. The thermal neutron concentration as a function of altitude above sea level was determined. The measurements were performed at three locations: in Moscow, at the Baksan Neutrino Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory. Variations of neutron count rates associated with lunar cycles were observed at the remote laboratories.     

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.     

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).     

Analysis of thunderstorm neutron fluxes in the generation region and at orbital altitudes

Thunderstorm neutron generation and transport are modeled using the known properties of terrestrial gamma-ray flashes. The spectra of the neutron fluxes in the generation area and at orbital altitudes are analyzed and compared to the neutron albedo background, demonstrating the possibility of detecting thunderstorm neutrons in principle.     

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.     

Epithermal Neutron Activation Analysis at the IBR-2 reactor of the Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (Dubna)

Experience of the Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) Department in employing epithermal activation in life sciences and materials science is summarized. The potential of a combination of epithermal activation and the suppression of Compton scattering and contributions from cascade-photon-emitting elements for raising NAA-based analytical studies up to a new level are discussed.     

Analysis of arsenic and mercury content in human remains of the 16th and 17th centuries from Moscow Kremlin necropolises by neutron activation analysis at the IREN facility and the IBR-2 reactor FLNP JINR

A neutron activation analysis (NAA) of three samples of human remains of the 16th and 17th centuries from the necropolises of the Moscow Kremlin has been carried out at FLNP JINR. The samples were irradiated at two facilities: the IREN source of resonance neutrons and the IBR-2 reactor. Spectra of the induced activity of the irradiated samples were measured by using the automatic measurement system developed at the Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics (FLNP) of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR). This system consists of a high-purity germanium detector with spectrometric electronics, a sample changer, and control software. Mass fraction of arsenic, mercury, and some other elements were calculated using two NAA methods—relative and absolute. The obtained values confirm the fact of acute mercury poisoning of Anastasia Romanovna, the first wife of Tsar Ivan Vasil’evich the Terrible, the first Russian Tsarina (died in 1560). High levels of mercury were detected in the bone remains of Tsarevich Ivan Ivanovich (died in 1581), the son of Tsar Ivan the Terrible, and Prince Mikhail Vasil’evich Skopin-Shuiskii (died in 1610). The results provide an opportunity to introduce into scientific circulation the exact values of mass fraction of mercury, arsenic, and other elements in the samples taken from the burials of the Russian historical figures of the second half of 16th–early 17th century.     

Measurements of neutron fluxes with energies from thermal to several MeV in near-Earth space: SINP results

Neutron measurement results obtained at SINP MSU since 1970 are presented. These measurements were made using techniques based on neutron moderation and subsequent detection in a Li6I(Eu) crystal or a He3 coronal counter. The measurements were mainly carried out in orbits with inclination of 52 degrees and altitudes of 200-450 km. The spatial and angular distributions of the measured neutron fluxes were studied. The albedo neutron flux was estimated according to the count rate difference for opposite detector orientations towards Earth and away from it. This flux is comparable to the local neutron flux outside the Brazil anomaly region, where local neutrons dominate. Neutron fluxes, generated by solar protons, were detected during a solar flare on June 6, 1991 for the first time. Their spectrum was estimated as a power law with alpha>2.     

Prompt neutron emission spectra and multiplicities in the thermal neutron induced fission of235U

The emission spectra of prompt fission neutrons from mass and kinetic energy selected fission fragments have been measured in²³⁵U(n _th,f). Neutron energies were determined from the measurement of the neutron time of flight using a NE213 scintillation detector. The fragment energies were measured by a pair of surface barrier detectors in one set of measurements and by a back-to-back gridded ionization chamber in the second set of measurements. The data were analysed event by event to deduce neutron energy in the rest frame of the emitting fragment for the determination of neutron emission spectra and multiplicities as a function of the fragment mass and total kinetic energy. The results are compared with statistical model calculations using shell and excitation energy dependent level density formulations to deduce the level density parameters of the neutron rich fragment nuclei over a large range of fragment masses.     

D-T中子与平板型聚乙烯材料作用的次级中子角度谱实验研究

基于反冲质子法建立了一种测量D-T中子与平板型宏观样品作用的次级中子角度谱的实验方法.为保证探测器的能量线性并在较低的中子有效测量下阈(0.5 MeV)情况下获得好的中子-伽马射线甄别性能,采用高、低能段分别测量的方法.采用事件记录法,同时记录了次级中子和伴随伽马射线的脉冲形状甄别和脉冲幅度二维信息,利用基于ROOT数据分析平台编写的离线数据分析程序,完成了伴随伽马射线的挑选和扣除,以及高、低两能段反冲质子谱的拼接,并成功的将神经网络技术应用于中子能谱的解谱,获得了D-T中子与9和18 cm厚平板型聚乙烯材料作用的0.5-15 MeV的次级中子角度谱实验结果.实验模型的MC模拟由MCNP5完成,数据库采用ENDF-VI,实验结果和MC计算结果在实验不确定度范围内一致. 关键词： D-T中子 积分中子学 反冲质子法 次级中子能谱