Study of neutron focusing at the Texas Cold Neutron Source. Final report
The goals of this three-year study were: (1) design a neutron focusing system for use with the Texas Cold Neutron Source (TCNS) to produce an intense beam of cold neutrons appropriate for prompt gamma activation analysis (PGAA); (2) orchestrate the construction of the focusing system, integrate it into the TCNS neutron guide complex, and measure its performance; and (3) design, setup, and test a cold-neutron PGAA system which utilizes the guided focused cold neutron beam. During the first year of the DOE grant, a new procedure was developed and used to design a focusing converging guide consisting of truncated rectangular cone sections. Detailed calculations were performed using a 3-D Monte Carlo code which the authors wrote to trace neutrons through the curved guide of the TCNS into the proposed converging guide. Using realistic reflectivities for Ni-Ti supermirrors, the authors obtained gains of 3 to 5 for 4 different converging guide geometries. During the second year of the DOE grant, the subject of this final report, Ovonic Synthetic Materials Company was contracted to build a converging neutron guide focusing system to the specifications. Considerable time and effort were spent working with Ovonics on selecting the materials for the converging neutron guide system. The major portion of the research on the design of a cold-neutron PGAA system was also completed during the second year. At the beginning of the third year of the grant, a converging neutron guide focusing system had been ordered, and a cold-neutron PGAA system had been designed. Since DOE did not fund the third year, there was no money to purchase the required equipment for the cold-neutron PGAA system and no money to perform tests of either the converging neutron guide or the cold-neutron PGAA system. The research already accomplished would have little value without testing the systems which had been designed. Thus the project was continued at a pace that could be sustained with internal funding.
- Research Organization:
- Texas Univ., Austin, TX (United States). Nuclear Engineering Teaching Lab.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Energy Research, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG03-93ER75878
- OSTI ID:
- 463658
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/ER/75878-T1; ON: DE97005211; TRN: 97:010000
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 19 Dec 1996
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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