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Title: Novel neutron sources at the Radiological Research Accelerator Facility

Journal Article · · Journal of Instrumentation
 [1];  [1];  [1]; ORCiD logo [2];  [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. Columbia Univ., New York, NY (United States)
  2. Ohio Univ., Athens, OH (United States)
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Since the 1960s, the Radiological Research Accelerator Facility (RARAF) has been providing researchers in biology, chemistry and physics with advanced irradiation techniques, using charged particles, photons and neutrons. We are currently developing a unique facility at RARAF, to simulate neutron spectra from an improvised nuclear device (IND), based on calculations of the neutron spectrum at 1.5 km from the epicenter of the Hiroshima atom bomb. This is significantly different from a standard fission spectrum, because the spectrum changes as the neutrons are transported through air, and is dominated by neutron energies between 0.05 and 8 MeV. This facility will be based on a mixed proton/deuteron beam impinging on a thick beryllium target. A second, novel facility under development is our new neutron microbeam. The neutron microbeam will, for the first time, provide a kinematically collimated neutron beam, 10-20 micron in diameter. This facility is based on a proton microbeam, impinging on a thin lithium target near the threshold of the Li-7(p,n)Be-7 reaction. Lastly, this novel neutron microbeam will enable studies of neutron damage to small targets, such as single cells, individual organs within small animals or microelectronic components.

Research Organization:
Ohio Univ., Athens, OH (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
Contributing Organization:
Ohio University, Columbia University
Grant/Contract Number:
FG02-88ER40387
OSTI ID:
1257198
Journal Information:
Journal of Instrumentation, Vol. 7, Issue 03; ISSN 1748-0221
Publisher:
Institute of Physics (IOP)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 10 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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journal April 2005
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Cited By (1)

Predicting DNA damage foci and their experimental readout with 2D microscopy: a unified approach applied to photon and neutron exposures journal September 2019

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Related Subjects

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
energy neutrons
cells
transformation
microbeam
rays