AN INTENSE NEUTRON GENERATOR BASED ON A PROTON ACCELERATOR
A study has been made of the demand for a neutron facility with a thermal flux of >= 10{sup 16}n cm{sup -2} sec{sup -1} and of possible methods of producing such fluxes with existing or presently developing technology. Experimental projects proposed by neutron users requiring high fluxes call for neutrons of all energies from thermal to 100 MeV with both continuous-wave and pulsed output. Consideration of the heat generated in the source per useful neutron liberated shows that the (p,xn) reaction with the 400-1000 MeV bombarding energies and heavy element targets (e.g. bismuth, lead) is capable of greater specific source strength than other possible methods realizable with the time scale. A preliminary parameter optimization carried through for the accelerator currently promising greatest economy (the separated orbit cyclotron or S.O.C), reveals that a facility delivering a proton beam of about 65 mA at about 1 BeV would satisfy the flux requirement with a neutron cost significantly more favourable than that projected for a high flux reactor. It is suggested that a proton storage ring providing post-acceleration pulsing of the proton beam should be developed for the facility. With this elaboration, and by taking advantage of the intrinsic microscopic pulse structure provided by the radio frequency duty cycle, a very versatile source may be devised capable of producing multiple beams of continuous and pulsed neutrons with a wide range of energies and pulse widths. The source promises to be of great value for high flux irradiations and as a pilot facility for advanced reactor technology. The proposed proton accelerator also constitutes a meson source capable of producing beams of pi and mu mesons and of neutrinos orders of magnitude more intense than those of any accelerator presently in use. These beams, which can be produced simultaneously with the neutron beams, open vast areas of new research in fundamental nuclear structure, elementary particle physics, and perhaps also in biology and medicine.
- Research Organization:
- Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., Chalk River, Ont.
- NSA Number:
- NSA-18-044317
- OSTI ID:
- 4003000
- Report Number(s):
- AECL-2059
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-64
- Country of Publication:
- Canada
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
ACCELERATORS
BEAMS
BIOLOGY
BISMUTH
CONFIGURATION
CYCLOTRONS
ECONOMICS
EFFICIENCY
ELEMENTS
ENERGY
ENERGY RANGE
FREQUENCY
GENERATORS
IRRADIATION
LEAD
MEDICINE
MESONS
MEV RANGE
MUONS
NEUTRINOS
NEUTRON SOURCES
NEUTRONS
OPERATION
PIONS
PLANNING
PRODUCTION
PROTONS
PULSES
REACTORS
STANDARDS
STORAGE
TARGETS
THERMAL NEUTRONS