High-power liquid-lithium jet target for neutron production

Journal Article · Sun Dec 15 00:00:00 EST 2013 · Review of Scientific Instruments

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4847158· OSTI ID:22220221

Halfon, S.; Feinberg, G. ^[1]; Arenshtam, A.; Kijel, D.; Berkovits, D.; Eliyahu, I.; Hazenshprung, N.; Mardor, I.; Nagler, A.; Shimel, G.; Silverman, I. ^[1]; Paul, M.; Friedman, M.; Tessler, M. ^[2]

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1. Soreq NRC, Yavne 81800 (Israel)
2. Racah Institute of Physics, Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91904 (Israel)

A compact liquid-lithium target (LiLiT) was built and tested with a high-power electron gun at the Soreq Nuclear Research Center. The lithium target, to be bombarded by the high-intensity proton beam of the Soreq Applied Research Accelerator Facility (SARAF), will constitute an intense source of neutrons produced by the {sup 7}Li(p,n){sup 7}Be reaction for nuclear astrophysics research and as a pilot setup for accelerator-based Boron Neutron Capture Therapy. The liquid-lithium jet target acts both as neutron-producing target and beam dump by removing the beam thermal power (>5 kW, >1 MW/cm{sup 3}) with fast transport. The target was designed based on a thermal model, accompanied by a detailed calculation of the {sup 7}Li(p,n) neutron yield, energy distribution, and angular distribution. Liquid lithium is circulated through the target loop at ∼200 °C and generates a stable 1.5 mm-thick film flowing at a velocity up to 7 m/s onto a concave supporting wall. Electron beam irradiation demonstrated that the liquid-lithium target can dissipate electron power areal densities of >4 kW/cm{sup 2} and volume power density of ∼2 MW/cm{sup 3} at a lithium flow of ∼4 m/s while maintaining stable temperature and vacuum conditions. The LiLiT setup is presently in online commissioning stage for high-intensity proton beam irradiation (1.91–2.5 MeV, 1–2 mA) at SARAF.

• OSTI ID: 22220221
• Journal Information: Review of Scientific Instruments, Vol. 84, Issue 12; Other Information: (c) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0034-6748
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS
ACCELERATOR FACILITIES
BERYLLIUM 7
ELECTRON BEAMS
ELECTRON GUNS
ENERGY SPECTRA
FILM FLOW
IRRADIATION
LIQUIDS
LITHIUM
LITHIUM 7 REACTIONS
NEUTRON CAPTURE THERAPY
NEUTRON SOURCES
NEUTRONS
PROTON BEAMS
PROTON REACTIONS
PROTON-NUCLEON INTERACTIONS
SOREQ NUCLEAR RESEARCH CENTER