Accelerator-Driven Neutron Source for Cargo Screening

Conference · Wed Nov 15 00:00:00 EST 2006

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2007.04.136· OSTI ID:920161

Ludewigt, B A; Bleuel, D L; Hoff, M D; Kwan, J W; Li, D; Ratti, A; Staples, J W; Virostek, S P; Wells, R P

Advanced neutron interrogation systems for the screening ofsea-land cargo containers for shielded special nuclear materials (SNM)require a high-yield neutron source to achieve the desired detectionprobability, false alarm rate, and throughput. An accelerator-drivenneutron source is described that produces a forward directed beam ofhigh-energy (up to 8.5 MeV) neutrons utilizing the D(d,n)3He reaction atdeuteron beam energies of up to 6 MeV. The key components of the neutronsource are a high-current RFQ accelerator and an innovative neutronproduction target. A microwave-driven deuteron source is coupled to anelectrostatic LEBT that injects a 40 mA D+-beam into a 6 MeV, 5.1meter-long, 200 MHz RFQ. The RFQ is based on an unusual beam dynamicsdesign and is capable of operating at a duty factor that produces morethan 1.2 mA timeaverage beam current. The beam is transported to a2-atmosphere deuterium gas target with a specially-designed, thinentrance window. A high-frequency dipole magnet is used to spread thebeam over the long dimension of the 4 by 35 cm target window. The sourcewill be capable of delivering a neutron flux of ~;2 x 107 n/(cm2 x s) tothe center of a sea-land cargo container and is expected t o satisfy therequirements for full testing and demonstration of advanced neutroninterrogation techniques based on stimulated SNM signatures.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: DE-AC02-05CH11231
• OSTI ID: 920161
• Report Number(s): LBNL-61173; R&D Project: Z2ADN3; TRN: US0805660
• Resource Relation: Journal Volume: 261; Journal Issue: 1-2; Conference: 19th International Conference on the Applicationof Accelerators in Research and Industry (CAARI-2006), Fort Worth, TX,August 20-25, 2006
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES
ACCELERATORS
BEAM CURRENTS
BEAM DYNAMICS
CARGO
CONTAINERS
DETECTION
DEUTERIUM
DEUTERON BEAMS
DEUTERON SOURCES
DIMENSIONS
DIPOLES
ELECTROSTATICS
MAGNETS
NEUTRON FLUX
NEUTRON SOURCES
NEUTRONS
TARGETS
TESTING
nuclear car wash Accelerator-Driven Neutron Source CargoScreening