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Title: Recent Refurbishment of the Oak Ridge Electron Linear Accelerator Neutron Source

Abstract

For almost 40 years the Oak Ridge Electron Linear Accelerator (ORELA) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has been operational and has provided high-resolution neutron cross-section data for many isotopes in the energy range from thermal up to 60 MeV. ORELA is a four-section radiofrequency electron linear accelerator with a water-cooled tantalum neutron production target. Short (2-30 ns) electron burst widths together with available long flight paths lead to excellent time-of-flight resolution. The electron beam energy can range up to 180 MeV and at 50 kW of beam power yields a neutron production rate 1014 n/s. We report on recent refurbishment activities that included improvements to the accelerator vacuum and electron gun design and other upgrades. The current ORELA program is focused on high-resolution neutron cross-section measurements for the Nuclear Criticality Safety Program for nuclides for which deficiencies in existing data have been identified. Additionally, neutron cross-section measurements for nuclear astrophysics are performed to support studies of heavy element synthesis in Asymptotic Giant Branch stars. Detection and data analysis capabilities have been developed for making highly accurate measurements of neutron capture, neutron total, and (n, α) cross sections simultaneously on different beam lines.

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Oak Ridge Electron Linear Accelerator
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Oak Ridge Electron Linear Accelerator
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
OSTI Identifier:
978751
DOE Contract Number:  
AC05-00OR22725
Resource Type:
Conference
Resource Relation:
Conference: International Conference on Nuclear Data for Science and Technology, Nice (France), 22-27 Apr 2007
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS; 07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES; ACCELERATORS; ASTROPHYSICS; CAPTURE; CRITICALITY; CROSS SECTIONS; DATA ANALYSIS; DETECTION; ELECTRON BEAMS; ELECTRON GUNS; ELECTRONS; ENERGY RANGE; ISOTOPES; LINEAR ACCELERATORS; NEUTRON REACTIONS; NEUTRON SOURCES; NEUTRONS; RESOLUTION; SAFETY; STARS; SYNTHESIS; TANTALUM; Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP); Oak Ridge Electron Linear Accelerator (ORELA); Neutron Cross-Section Data; Isotopes; Refurbishment; Improvements; Accelerator Vacuum; Electron Gun Design; Neutron Cross-Section Measurements; Nuclear Astrophysics

Citation Formats

Guber, Klaus H., Bigelow, Tim S., Ausmus, Clint, Brashear, Dane, Harvey, John A., Koehler, Paul Edward, Wiarda, Dorothea, Overton, Roland B., and White, John A. Recent Refurbishment of the Oak Ridge Electron Linear Accelerator Neutron Source. United States: N. p., 2007. Web. doi:10.1051/ndata:07365.
Guber, Klaus H., Bigelow, Tim S., Ausmus, Clint, Brashear, Dane, Harvey, John A., Koehler, Paul Edward, Wiarda, Dorothea, Overton, Roland B., & White, John A. Recent Refurbishment of the Oak Ridge Electron Linear Accelerator Neutron Source. United States. https://doi.org/10.1051/ndata:07365
Guber, Klaus H., Bigelow, Tim S., Ausmus, Clint, Brashear, Dane, Harvey, John A., Koehler, Paul Edward, Wiarda, Dorothea, Overton, Roland B., and White, John A. 2007. "Recent Refurbishment of the Oak Ridge Electron Linear Accelerator Neutron Source". United States. https://doi.org/10.1051/ndata:07365.
@article{osti_978751,
title = {Recent Refurbishment of the Oak Ridge Electron Linear Accelerator Neutron Source},
author = {Guber, Klaus H. and Bigelow, Tim S. and Ausmus, Clint and Brashear, Dane and Harvey, John A. and Koehler, Paul Edward and Wiarda, Dorothea and Overton, Roland B. and White, John A.},
abstractNote = {For almost 40 years the Oak Ridge Electron Linear Accelerator (ORELA) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has been operational and has provided high-resolution neutron cross-section data for many isotopes in the energy range from thermal up to 60 MeV. ORELA is a four-section radiofrequency electron linear accelerator with a water-cooled tantalum neutron production target. Short (2-30 ns) electron burst widths together with available long flight paths lead to excellent time-of-flight resolution. The electron beam energy can range up to 180 MeV and at 50 kW of beam power yields a neutron production rate 1014 n/s. We report on recent refurbishment activities that included improvements to the accelerator vacuum and electron gun design and other upgrades. The current ORELA program is focused on high-resolution neutron cross-section measurements for the Nuclear Criticality Safety Program for nuclides for which deficiencies in existing data have been identified. Additionally, neutron cross-section measurements for nuclear astrophysics are performed to support studies of heavy element synthesis in Asymptotic Giant Branch stars. Detection and data analysis capabilities have been developed for making highly accurate measurements of neutron capture, neutron total, and (n, α) cross sections simultaneously on different beam lines.},
doi = {10.1051/ndata:07365},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/978751}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Apr 22 00:00:00 EDT 2007},
month = {Sun Apr 22 00:00:00 EDT 2007}
}

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