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Low-temperature irradiation of niobium with 15-MeV neutrons

Conference ·
OSTI ID:7220089

Niobium was irradiated at 4.2/sup 0/K with high-energy d-Be neutrons to a fluence of 3.7 x 10/sup 15/ n/cm/sup 2/. The neutrons were generated at the Oak Ridge Isochronous Cyclotron by the breakup reaction of 40-MeV deuterons in a thick Be target. The resulting neutron energy spectrum was broadly peaked near 15 MeV. The .012-cm-diameter wire sample (RRR = 200) was situated in a uniform transverse magnetic field. The critical current, flux-flow resistance, and normal-state resistance were measured by using a standard four-terminal technique. The critical-current density and flux-flow resistivity were observed to increase with irradiation and to decrease toward the preirradiation values with subsequent isochronal annealing between 4.2/sup 0/K and 360/sup 0/K. Using recent theories of flux-line-lattice deformation, we deduce the elementary pinning force and compare the result to theoretical calculations.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-26
OSTI ID:
7220089
Report Number(s):
CONF-770649-1
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English