Nondestructive technique for identifying nuclides using neutron resonance transmission analysis at CSNS Back-n

Nondestructive and noninvasive neutron assays are essential applications of neutron techniques.Neutron resonance transmission analysis(NRTA)is a powerful nondestructive method for investigating the elemental composition of an object.The back-streaming neutron line(Back-n)is a newly built time-of-flight facility at the China Spallation Neutron Source(CSNS)that provides neutrons in the eV to 300 MeV range.A feasibility study of the NRTA method for nuclide identification was conducted at the CSNS Back-n via two test experiments.The results demonstrate that it is feasible to identify different elements and isotopes in samples using the NRTA method at Back-n.This study reveals its potential future applications.

Measurement of the ^(232)Th(n,f)cross section in the 1-200 MeV range at the CSNS Back-n

The ^(232)Th(n,f)cross section is very important in basic nuclear physics and applications based on the Th/U fuel cycle.Using the time-of-flight method and a multi-cell fast-fission ionization chamber,a novel measurement of the^(232)Th(n,f)cross sec-tion relative to^(235)U in the 1–200 MeV range was performed at the China Spallation Neutron Source Back-n white neutron source(Back-n).The fission event-neutron energy spectra of^(232)Th and^(235)U fission cells were measured in the single-bunch mode.Corrected 232Th/235U fission cross-sectional ratios were obtained,and the measurement uncertainties were 2.5–3.7%for energies in the 2–20 MeV range and 3.6–6.2%for energies in the 20–200 MeV range.The^(232)Th(n,f)cross section was obtained by introducing the standard cross section of^(235)U(n,f).The results were compared with those of previous theoreti-cal calculations,measurements,and evaluations.The measured 232Th fission cross section agreed with the main evaluation results in terms of the experimental uncertainty,and 232Th fission resonances were observed in the 1–3 MeV range.The present results provide^(232)Th(n,f)cross-sectional data for the evaluation and design of Th/U cycle nuclear systems.

Back-n white neutron source at CSNS and its applications

Back-streaming neutrons from the spallation target of the China Spallation Neutron Source(CSNS)that emit through the incoming proton channel were exploited to build a white neutron beam facility(the so-called Back-n white neutron source),which was completed in March 2018.The Back-n neutron beam is very intense,at approximately 29107 n/cm2/s at 55 m from the target,and has a nominal proton beam with a power of 100 kW in the CSNS-I phase and a kinetic energy of 1.6 GeV and a thick tungsten target in multiple slices with modest moderation from the cooling water through the slices.In addition,the excellent energy spectrum spanning from 0.5 eV to 200 MeV,and a good time resolution related tothe time-of-flight measurements make it a typical white neutron source for nuclear data measurements;its overall performance is among that of the best white neutron sources in the world.Equipped with advanced spectrometers,detectors,and application utilities,the Back-n facility can serve wide applications,with a focus on neutron-induced cross-sectional measurements.This article presents an overview of the neutron beam characteristics,the experimental setups,and the ongoing applications at Backn.

Measurement of the neutron total cross section of carbon at the Back-n white neutron beam of CSNS

To verify the performance of the neutron total cross-sectional spectrometer, the neutron total cross section of carbon is initially measured in the energy range of 1 eV to 20 MeV using the time-of-flight method. The measurement is performed at the Back-n white neutron source with a 76-m time-of-flight path using the China Spallation Neutron Source. A multilayer fast fission chamber with 235U and 238U is employed as the neutron detector. The diameter and thickness of the natural graphite sample are 70 mm and 40 mm, respectively. Signal waveforms are collected using a data acquisition system. Off-line data processing was used to obtain the neutron time-of-flight spectra and transmissions. The uncertainty of the counting statistics is generally approximately 3% for each bin in the energy range of 1–20 MeV. It is determined that the results for the neutron total cross section of carbon obtained using ^235U cells are in good agreement with the results obtained using 238U cells within limits of statistical uncertainty. Moreover, the measured total cross sections show good agreement with the broadening evaluated data.

Beam-beam effects and mitigation in a future proton-proton collider

The beam-beam effects in a hadron collider with an unprecedented energy scale were studied.These effects are strongly related to the attainable luminosity of the collider.Long-range interactions were identified as the major factor limiting the dynamic aperture,which is strongly dependent on the crossing angle,β*,and bunch population.Different mitigation methods of the beam-beam effects were addressed,with a focus on the compensation of long-range interactions by electric curren wires.The CEPC-SPPC project is a two-stage large circular collider,with a first-stage circular electron-positron collider(CEPC)and a second-stage super proton-proton collider(SPPC).The design of the SPPC aims to achieve a center-of-mass energy of 75 TeV and peak luminosity of approximately 1×10^(35) cm^(-2)s^(-1).We studied the beam-beam effects in the SPPC and tested the effectiveness of the mitigation methods.We found that with compensation using electric current wires,the dynamic aperture is at an acceptable level.Moreover,considering the significant emittance damping in this future proton-proton collider the beam-beam effects and compensation are more complicated and are studied using long-term tracking.It was found that with a smaller emittance,the head-on interactions with a crossing angle become more prominent in reducing the beam stability,and combined head-on and long-range compensation is needed to improve the beam quality.When the reduction in population owing to burnoff was included,it was found that the coupling between the transverse and longitudinal planes at smaller emittance is the main driving source of the instabilities.Thus,crab cavities and emittance control are also necessary than just the compensation of the long-range interactions to improve the beam stability.This study serves as an example for studying the beam-beam effects in future proton-proton colliders.

Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt as the Treatment for Refractory Hepatic Hydrothorax with Portal Vein Thrombosis

Hepatic hydrothorax occurs in 4-12% of patients with liver cirrhosis, A part of patients with persisted hydrothorax resists conservative treatment, known as refractory hepatic hydrothorax （RHH）. Portal vein thrombosis （PVT） is observed in about 2.1 16.2% patients with liver cirrhosis, which may aggravate portal hypertension.