Research into accelerator driven systems using particle track detectors

In the interaction of relativistic protons with heavy and extended targets such as lead, large number of neutrons is produced in the course of the so-called spallation process. These neutrons can be used to drive a sub-critical nuclear assembly for energy generation and/or for the transmutation of the long-lived nuclear waste isotopes to environmentally safer nuclear species. Such nuclear assemblies are referred to as accelerator driven systems (ADS).

Knowledge of the neutron yield in the spallation process and an understanding of the behaviour of these neutrons in the desired sub-critical assembly are the most important and determining factors in the design and operation of these systems. Many parameters related to the neutronics of an ADS can be studied qualitatively as well as quantitatively using solid-state nuclear track detectors (SSNTD). In some circumstances SSNTDs provide the best and the most logical detector option for these investigations.

In this paper applications of the SSNTDs into research related to ADS are discussed and some experimental and theoretical results presented.     

On the behavior of spallation neutrons from extended Pb targets plus moderator: A comparison between SSNTD measurements and calculation

Thick Pb targets of different lengths were irradiated by 1 GeV protons at the Nuclotron accelerator of the High Energy Laboratory, JINR, Dubna. To favor transmutation via (n,γ) reactions a paraffin moderator is used. Solid-state nuclear track detectors (SSNTDs) measured neutron distribution. A comparison of experimental results with calculation on the moderator surface is given.     

Determination of spatial and energy distributions of neutrons in experiments on transmutation of radioactive waste using relativistic protons

The experiments on transmutation of ¹²⁹I and ²³⁷Np using uranium-lead targets surrounded by a paraffin moderator were performed at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR, Russia). The targets were irradiated by 1.5 GeV and 7.4 GeV protons at the Synchrophasotron of JINR. In the frame of present work spatial and energy distributions of neutrons on the surface of the paraffin moderator were measured using SSNTD technique. It is shown that measured values of spetral indices do not pretend on the energy of incident protons but depend on the target composition. The presence of the uranium insertion softens neutron spectra.     

Comparative yields of alkali elements and thallium from uranium irradiated with GeV protons,3He and12C

Mass-separated ion beams of the alkali elements Na, K, and Fr, and of the element Tl, were produced by bombarding a uranium target with 600 MeV protons, 890 MeV³He^{2 +}, and 936 MeV¹²C^{4 +}. Isotopic production yields are reported. In the case of the¹²C beam, these are thick target yields. Absolute cross-sections for the proton beam data were deduced by normalizing the delay-time corrected yield curves to measured cross-sections. For products farthest away from stability, the³He^{2 +} beam generally gives the highest yields.     

Investigation of neutron emission in the interaction of relativistic protons and deuterons with lead targets

Measurements of neutron double-differential cross sections and yields in time-of-flight experiments with various lead targets and beams of protons and deuterons with an energy of about 2 GeV are discussed. Space and energy distribution of neutrons in an extended lead target is studied by threshold detectors in the proton energy range of 1–3.7 GeV. The average multiplicity of neutrons, neutron energy, and neutron multiplication in lead as functions of target dimension, type, and energy of the beam particle are analyzed.     

Spallation neutron spectrum on a massive lead/paraffin target irradiated with 1 GeV protons

The gamma-ray spectra emitted by decaying of residual nuclei produced by spallation neutrons in (n, xn), (n, xnyp), (n, p), (n, ) reactions with activation threshold detectors, i.e. ²⁰⁹Bi, ¹⁹⁷Au, ⁵⁹Co, ¹¹⁵In, ²³²Th, were measured in the Laboratory of Nuclear Problems (LNP), JINR, Dubna, Russia. Spallation neutrons were generated by bombarding a 20 cm long cylindrical lead target with 8 cm diameter surrounded by a 6 cm thick layer of paraffin moderator with 1 GeV proton beam from the NUCLOTRON accelerator. Reaction rates and a spallation neutron spectrum were measured and compared with CASCADE code calculations.     

Neutron response study of two CR-39 personal dosemeters with air and Nylon converters

A neutron personal dosemeter using CR-39 as a detector and hydrogenated materials as proton converters for fast neutron detection plus an air layer for thermal neutron detection is being developed in our laboratory. To increase the CR-39 response to thermal neutrons, the air converter was substituted with Nylon in some dosemeters. Several dosemeters with these two configurations were mounted on a water-filled phantom and exposed under different incidence angles (0, 30 and 60) to: (i) Three ISO neutron sources (²⁴¹Am–Be, bare ²⁵²Cf and moderated ²⁵²Cf with Cd shielding), and (ii) two realistic neutron sources (SIGMA and moderated ²⁵²Cf) at the IRSN (Cadarache) facilities. The irradiated detectors were electrochemically etched and evaluated in order to determine their dose equivalent response in terms of H_p(10,α). The results obtained are compared to those obtained from Monte Carlo simulations using the MCNPX code.     

Fission of Pb nuclei induced by 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 3.7 and 7.4 GeV protons in the volume of massive U/Pb and Pb targets

Experiments with relativistic protons accelerated at the Synchrophasotron LHE, Dubna, with energies of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 3.7 and 7.5 GeV hitting massive targets of (nat. U)/Pb and Pb were carried out using SSNTD during the years 1996–1999. The beam profiles and intensities of both primary particles and fast secondary neutrons were measured inside the massive cylinder blocks of Pb and U by counting fission fragment tracks due to the induced fission of Pb nuclei. The beam diameter typically increases by 20–30% at the depth 10 and 20 cm. With increasing the energy of protons the number of secondary neutrons increases with the depth of the target.

Further studies on beam profile measurements inside the massive heavy metal targets are discussed.     

Transmutation of 129I, 237Np, 238Pu, 239Pu, and 241Am using neutrons produced in target-blanket system ‘Energy plus Transmutation’ by relativistic protons

Target-blanket facility ‘Energy + Transmutation’ was irradiated by proton beam extracted from the Nuclotron Accelerator in Laboratory of High Energies of Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna, Russia. Neutrons generated by the spallation reactions of 0.7, 1.0, 1.5 and 2 GeV protons and lead target interact with subcritical uranium blanket. In the neutron field outside the blanket, radioactive iodine, neptunium, plutonium and americium samples were irradiated and transmutation reaction yields (residual nuclei production yields) have been determined using γ-spectroscopy. Neutron field's energy distribution has also been studied using a set of threshold detectors. Results of transmutation studies of ¹²⁹I, ²³⁷Np, ²³⁸Pu, ²³⁹Pu and ²⁴¹Am are presented.      

Neutron production in extended Cu-target irradiated with relativistic C-ions at Dubna, as studied with SSNTD and nuclear chemistry

An extended Cu-target was irradiated with 22 and 44 GeV carbon ions. The target was in contact with a (CH₂)_n-block for the moderation of secondary neutrons. Small holes in the moderator were filled with either lanthanium salts or uranium oxide. The reaction ¹³⁹La (n,γ) ¹⁴⁰La was studied via the decay of ¹⁴⁰La (40 h), and the reaction ²³⁸U (n, γ) ²³⁹U ²³⁹Np was studied via the decay of ²³⁹Np (2.3 d). In addition, a variety of solid state nuclear track detectors (SSNTD) were used. Results will be presented. The yields for the formation of (n, γ) products agree essentially with other experiments on extended targets carried out at the Synchrophasotron LHE, JINR (Dubna). To a first approximation, the breeding rate of (n, γ) products, as well as the specific track density, seen with several SSNTDs, doubles when the carbon energy is increased from 22 to 44 GeV. If, however, results at 44 GeV are compared in detail to those at 22 GeV, we observe an excess of (37 ± 9) % in the experimentally observed ²³⁹Np-breeding rate over theoretical estimations. Experiments using solid state nuclear track detectors are giving similar results. We also observed in the past such excess in the yield of other secondary particles in relativistic heavy ion interactions above a total energy of approximately 35–40 GeV.     

Recent developments and on-line tests of uranium carbide targets for production of nuclides far from stability

The capacity of uranium carbide target materials of different structure and density for production of neutron-rich and heavy neutron-deficient nuclides have been investigated. The yields of Cs and Fr produced by a 1 GeV proton beam of the PNPI synchrocyclotron and release properties of different targets have been measured. Yields and release efficiencies of Cs and Fr produced from a high density UC target material and from low density UCx prepared by the ISOLDE method at IRIS in the collaboration with PARRNe group from Orsay are compared. The yields from ISOLDE original target are presented for comparison as well.     

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为了研究靶材料对快电子能量分布的影响,采用电子谱仪测量了飞秒激光与Cu和CH靶相互作用中在靶前和靶后产生的快电子能谱。结果显示,在靶前Cu和CH靶的快电子能谱相似,反应了快电子发射对靶材料的依赖性较弱;在靶后Cu和CH靶的快电子能谱具有明显的差异,说明电子的输运过程与靶材料密切相关。冷电子环流以及自生磁场是导致Cu靶快电子能谱"软化"的原因,而对于CH靶麦克斯韦分布的快电子能谱主要由碰撞机制决定。     

Double-differential cross sections for the production of neutrons from Pb, W, Zr, Cu, and Al targets irradiated with 0.8-, 1.0-, and 1.6-GeV protons

Experimental results obtained by determining the double-differential cross sections for neutron production in Pb, W, Zr, Cu, and Al targets irradiated with 0.8-, 1.0-, and 1.6-GeV protons are presented. The spectra of neutrons were measured at 15°, 30°, 60°, 90°, 120°, and 150° with a time-of-flight spectrometer by using a proton beam extracted from the 10-GeV synchrotron at the Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Physics (ITEP, Moscow). The neutrons are recorded with 5MAB-1F6BC501A/5L liquid scintillation detectors and NE110 solid-state scintillators. The experimental data in question are compared with the results of simulations based on the CEM97, LAHET, and CASCADE codes.