Benchmark experiment on slab^(238)U with D-T neutrons for validation of evaluated nuclear data

A benchmark experiment on^(238)U slab samples was conducted using a deuterium-tritium neutron source at the China Institute of Atomic Energy.The leakage neutron spectra within energy levels of 0.8-16 MeV at 60°and 120°were measured using the time-of-flight method.The samples were prepared as rectangular slabs with a 30 cm square base and thicknesses of 3,6,and 9 cm.The leakage neutron spectra were also calculated using the MCNP-4C program based on the latest evaluated files of^(238)U evaluated neutron data from CENDL-3.2,ENDF/B-Ⅷ.0,JENDL-5.0,and JEFF-3.3.Based on the comparison,the deficiencies and improvements in^(238)U evaluated nuclear data were analyzed.The results showed the following.(1)The calculated results for CENDL-3.2 significantly overestimated the measurements in the energy interval of elastic scattering at 60°and 120°.(2)The calculated results of CENDL-3.2 overestimated the measurements in the energy interval of inelastic scattering at 120°.(3)The calculated results for CENDL-3.2 significantly overestimated the measurements in the 3-8.5 MeV energy interval at 60°and 120°.(4)The calculated results with JENDL-5.0 were generally consistent with the measurement results.

Study of the response of 10B-doped MCP to wide-energy range neutrons from eV to MeV

Neutron-sensitive microchannel plates(nMCPs)have applications in neutron detection,including energy spectrum measurements,neutron-induced cross sections,and neutron imaging.10B-doped MCPs(B-MCPs)have attracted significant attention owing to their potential for exhibiting a high neutron detection efficiency over a large neutron energy range.Good spatial and temporal resolutions are useful for neutron energy-resolved imaging.However,their practical applications still face many technical challenges.In this study,a B-MCP with 10 mol%10B was tested for its response to wide-energy neutrons from eV to MeV at the Back-n white neutron source at the China Spallation Neutron Source.The neutron detection efficiency was calibrated at 1 eV,which is approximately 300 times that of an ordinary MCP and indicates the success of 10 B doping.The factors that caused the reduction in the detection efficiency were simulated and discussed.The neutron energy spectrum obtained using B-MCP was compared with that obtained by other measurement methods,and showed very good consistency for neutron energies below tens of keV.The response is more complicated at higher neutron energy,at which point the elastic and nonelastic reactions of all nuclides of B-MCP gradually become dominant.This is beneficial for the detection of neutrons,as it compensates for the detection efficiency of B-MCP for high-energy neutrons.

Measurement and simulation of the leakage neutron spectra from Fe spheres bombarded with 14 MeV neutrons

Iron is commonly used as a structural and shielding material in nuclear devices. The accuracy of its nuclear data is critical for the design of nuclear devices. The evaluation data of ^(56)Fe isotopes in the latest version of the CENDL-3.2 library from China was significantly updated. This new data must be tested before it can be used. To test the reliability of this data and assess the shielding effect, a shielding benchmark experiment was conducted with natural Fe spherical samples using a pulsed deuterium–tritium neutron source at the China Institute of Atomic Energy(CIAE). The leakage neutron spectra from the natural spherical iron samples with different thicknesses(4.5, 7.5, and 12 cm) were measured between 0.8 and 16 MeV after interacting with 14 MeV neutrons using the time-of-flight method. The simulation results were obtained by Monte Carlo simulations by employing the Fe data from the CENDL-3.2, ENDF/B-VIII.0, and JEDNL-5.0 libraries. The measured and simulated leakage neutron spectra and penetration rates were compared, demonstrating that the CENDL-3.2 library performs sufficiently overall. The simulation results of the other two libraries were underestimated for scattering at the continuum energy level.

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.

Measurement of Br(n,γ)cross sections up to stellar s-process temperatures at the CSNS Back‑n

The neutron capture cross sections(n,γ)of bromine were obtained using the time-of-flight technique at the Back-n facility of the China Spallation Neutron Source.Promptγ-rays originating from neutron-induced capture events were detected using four C_(6)D_(6) detectors.The pulse-height weighting technique and double-bunch unfolding method based on Bayesian theory were used in the data analysis.Background deductions,normalization,and corrections were carefully considered to obtain reliable measurement results.The multilevel R-matrix Bayesian code SAMMY was used to extract the resonance parameters in the resolved resonance region(RRR).The average cross sections in the unresolved resonance region(URR)were obtained from 10 to 400 keV.The experimental results were compared with data from several evaluated libraries and previous experi-ments in the RRR and URR.The TALYS code was used to describe the average cross sections in the URR.The astrophysical Maxwell average cross sections(MACSs)of ^(79,81)Br from kT=5 to 100 keV were calculated over a sufficiently wide range of neutron energies.At a thermal energy of kT=30 keV,the MACS value for ^(79)Br 682±68 mb was in good agreement with the KADoNiS v1.0 recommended value.By contrast,the value of 293±29 mb for ^(81)Br was substantially higher than that of the evaluated database and the KADoNiS v1.0 recommended value.

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.

10B-doped MCP detector developed for neutron resonance imaging at Back-n white neutron source

Neutron resonance imaging(NRI)has recently emerged as an appealing technique for neutron radiography.Its complexity surpasses that of conventional transmission imaging,as it requires a high demand for both a neutron source and detector.Consequently,the progression of NRI technology has been sluggish since its inception in the 1980s,particularly considering the limited studies analyzing the neutron energy range above keV.The white neutron source(Back-n)at the China Spallation Neutron Source(CSNS)provides favorable beam conditions for the development of the NRI technique over a wide neutron energy range from eV to MeV.Neutron-sensitive microchannel plates(MCP)have emerged as a cutting-edge tool in the field of neutron detection owing to their high temporal and spatial resolutions,high detection efficiency,and low noise.In this study,we report the development of a 10B-doped MCP detector,along with its associated electronics,data processing system,and NRI experiments at the Back-n.Individual heavy elements such as gold,silver,tungsten,and indium can be easily identified in the transmission images by their characteristic resonance peaks in the 1–100 eV energy range;the more difficult medium-weight elements such as iron,copper,and aluminum with resonance peaks in the 1–100 keV energy range can also be identified.In particular,results in the neutron energy range of dozens of keV(Aluminum)are reported here for the first time.

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.

Measurements ofthe 197Au(n, γ) crosssectionupto100keV at the CSNSBack-nfacility

The neutron capture cross section of 197 Au was measured using the time-of-flight(TOF)technique at the Back-n facility of the China Spallation Neutron Source(CSNS)in the 1 eV to 100 keV range.Prompt c-rays originating from neutron-induced capture events were detected by four C_(6)D_(6) liquid scintillator detectors.Pulse height weighting technology(PHWT)was used to analyze the data.The results are in good agreement with ENDF/B-VIII.0,CENDL-3.1,and other evaluated libraries in the resonance region,and in agreement with both n TOF and GELINA experimental data in the 5–100 keV range.Finally,the resonance peaks in the energy range from 1eV to 1 keV were fitted by the SAMMY R-matrix code.

Measurement of ^(232)Th(n,γ)cross section at the CSNS Back-n facility in the unresolved resonance region from 4 keV to 100 keV

The neutron capture cross section of ^(232)Th was measured at the neutron time-of-flight facility Back-n of China Spallation Neutron Source(CSNS)for the first time.The measurement was performed with 4 hydrogen-free deuterated benzene C6D6 liquid scintillation detectors,in the ES#2 experiment station on the beam line,at a distance of about 76 m from the neutron-production assembly.The total energy detection principle in combination with the pulse height weighting technique(PHWT)was applied to analyze the measured data.Results of the ^(232)Th(n,γ)reaction cross section in the unresolved resonance region from 4 keV to 100 keV were obtained,which shows a good agreement with the existing experimental data from EXFOR,as well as with the evaluated data from the ENDF/B-VIII.0 and CENDL-3.1.In addition,the excitation function of ^(232)Th(n,γ)^(233)Th reaction in the unresolved resonance region was theoretically calculated by using the code TALYS-1.95.By fitting the experimental cross section and theoretical data,the average parameters in the unresolved resonance region were extracted.

Study of neutron production and moderation for sulfur neutron capture therapy

Neutron capture therapy with Sulfur-33, similar to boron neutron capture therapy with Boron-10, is effective in treating some types of tumors including ocular melanoma. The key point in sulfur neutron capture therapy is whether the neutron beam flux and the resonance capture cross section of ^(33)S(n;α)^(30) Si reaction at 13.5 keV can achieve the requirements of radiotherapy. In this research,the authors investigated the production of 13.5 keV neutron production and moderation based on an accelerator neutron source. A lithium glass detector was used to measure the neutron flux produced via near threshold^7 Li(p,n)~7 Be reaction using the time-of-flight method. Furthermore, the moderation effects of different kinds of materials were investigated using Monte Carlo simulation.

New experimental measurement of^(nat)Se(n,γ)cross section between 1 eV to 1 keV at the CSNS Back-n facility

The^(74)Se is one of 35 p-nuclei,and^(82)Se is a r-process only nucleus,and their(n,γ)cross sections are vital input parameters for nuclear astrophysics reaction network calculations.The neutron capture cross section in the resonance range of isotopes and even natural selenium samples has not been measured.Promptγ-rays originating from neutron-induced capture events were detected by four C_(6)D_(6) liquid scintillator detectors at the Back-n facility of China Spallation Neutron Source(CSNS).The pulse height weighting technique(PHWT)was used to analyze the data in the 1 e V to 100 ke V region.The deduced neutron capture cross section was compared with ENDF/B-VIII.0,JEFF-3.2,and JENDL-4.0,and some differences were found.Resonance parameters were extracted by the R-matrix code SAMMY in the 1 e V-1 ke V region.All the cross sections ofnatSe and resonance parameters are given in the datasets.The datasets are openly available at http://www.doi.org/10.11922/sciencedb.j00113.00019.

Description of elastic scattering for 7Li-induced reactions on 1p-shell nuclei

The experimental data of elastic scattering angular distributions for 9Be,10B,11B,12C,13C,15N,and 16O targets from 4.5 to 131.8 MeV and 7Li target from 8.0 to 42.0 MeV are fitted to realize the global phenomenological optical potentials(GPOPs)for the 7Li-induced reactions on 1p-shell nuclei.Thus,the 7Li elastic scattering from the 1p-shell nuclei can be systematically described using the established GPOPs.The elastic scattering angular distributions are also reanalyzed using a microscopic method within the framework of the new version of double folding S?o Paulo potential(SPP2).To better describe the elastic scattering at backward angles,the contribution of elastic transfer is further estimated by the distorted wave Born approximation(DWBA)method.Based on the obtained GPOPs,the inelastic scattering angular distributions are also obtained through the coupled channels(CC)method for the different excited states.

Measurement of the neutron total cross section of^(9)Be at the Back-n white neutron source of CSNS

The neutron total cross section data of^(9)Be are essential in the nuclear structure model research of light nuclei and nuclear power installations.The neutron total cross section of^(9)Be in the 0.3 eV−120 MeV energy region has been measured using time-of-flight and transmission methods with the Neutron Total Cross Sectional Spectrometer(NTOX)based on the multi-cell fast fission chamber at the China Spallation Neutron Source(CSNS)-Back-n white neutron source(Back-n).The fission count-neutron energy distributions of ^(235)U and ^(238)U without samples and with Be samples with three thicknesses were measured in the double-bunch operation mode for a beam power of 100 kW.The Bayesian method was used to eliminate the influence of the double-bunch problem on neutron measurement in the energy region above 10 keV.The neutron total cross section of^(9)Be results was consistent with ENDF/B-VIII.0 evaluation library data in the 0.3 eV−20 MeV energy region.In the energy ranges of 0.3 eV to 10 keV and 0.01 to 20 MeV,the deviations between our results and the evaluation results of ENDF/B-VIII.0 were within 2.5%and 15%,respectively.In the resonance energy region,the measured resonance energies in our experiment were 0.63,0.82,and 2.8 MeV,respectively.The results showed that the total cross section uncertainties of three Be samples were within 2.2%in the energy region below 1 MeV.The total cross section uncertainty of 30 mm Be from ^(235)U was the smallest and less than 5%in the energy region of 0.3 eV−120 MeV.The results of this experiment can provide technical support for further data analysis and related nuclear data evaluation.

Prediction of(n,2n)reaction cross-sections of long-lived fission products based on tensor model

Interest has recently emerged in potential applications of(n,2n)reactions of unstable nuclei.Challenges have arisen because of the scarcity of experimental cross-sectional data.This study aims to predict the(n,2n)reaction cross-section of long-lived fission products based on a tensor model.This tensor model is an extension of the collaborative filtering algorithm used for nuclear data.It is based on tensor decomposition and completion to predict(n,2n)reaction cross-sections;the corresponding EXFOR data are applied as training data.The reliability of the proposed tensor model was validated by comparing the calculations with data from EXFOR and different databases.Predictions were made for long-lived fission products such as^(60)Co,^(79)Se,^(93)Zr,^(107)P,^(126)Sn,and^(137)Cs,which provide a predicted energy range to effectively transmute long-lived fission products into shorter-lived or less radioactive isotopes.This method could be a powerful tool for completing(n,2n)reaction cross-sectional data and shows the possibility of selective transmutation of nuclear waste.

In-beam gamma rays of CSNS Back-n characterized by black resonance filter

The back-streaming white-neutron beamline(Back-n)of the China Spallation Neutron Source is an essential neutronresearch platform built for the study of nuclear data,neutron physics,and neutron applications.Many types of cross-sectional neutron-reaction measurements have been performed at Back-n since early 2018.These measurements have shown that a significant number of gamma rays can be transmitted to the experimental stations of Back-n along with the neutron beam.These gamma rays,commonly referred to as in-beam gamma rays,can induce a non-negligible experimental background in neutron-reaction measurements.Studying the characteristics of in-beam gamma rays is important for understanding the experimental background.However,measuring in-beam gamma rays is challenging because most gamma-ray detectors are sensitive to neutrons;thus,discriminating between neutron-induced signals and those from in-beam gamma rays is difficult.In this study,we propose the use of the black resonance filter method and a CeBr_(3) scintillation detector to measure the characteristics of the in-beam gamma rays of Back-n.Four types of black resonance filters,^(181)Ta,^(59)Co,^(nat)Ag,and^(nat)Cd,were used in this measurement.The time-of-flight(TOF)technique was used to select the detector signals remaining in the absorption region of the TOF spectra,which were mainly induced by in-beam gamma rays.The energy distribution and flux of the in-beam gamma rays of Back-n were determined by analyzing the deposited energy spectra of the CeBr_(3) scintillation detector and using Monte Carlo simulations.Based on the results of this study,the background contributions from in-beam gamma rays in neutron-reaction measurements at Back-n can be reasonably evaluated,which is beneficial for enhancing both the experimental methodology and data analysis.

Contrast sensitivity in 14 MeV fast neutron radiography

Fast neutron radiography(FNR) is an effective non-destructive testing technique.Due to the scattering effect and low detection efficiency,the detection limit of FNR under certain conditions cannot be determined.In order to obtain the minimum detectable thickness by FNR,we studied the contrast sensitivity of FNR lead samples,both theoretically and experimentally.We then clarified the relationship between pixel value and irradiation time,and sample materials and thickness.Our experiment,using a4-cm-thick lead sample,verified our theoretical expression of FNR contrast sensitivity.

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(n,2n)reaction cross-sections of iodine and cesium induced by D-T neutrons with covariance analysis

The cross-sections of the 127I(n,2n)126I and 133Cs(n,2n)132Cs reactions at neutron energies of 13.83±0.05,14.33±0.10,and 14.79±0.10 MeV were measured relative to the 93Nb(n,2n)92mNb reaction using the activation technique in combination with off-lineγ-ray spectrometry.A neutron beam was generated from the T(d,n)4He reaction using the K-400 neutron generator at the China Academy of Engineering Physics.Considering the correlations between different attributes,detailed uncertainty propagation was performed using covariance analysis,and the cross-sections were reported with their uncertainties and correlation matrix.The uncertainty of the measurement cross-sections ranged from 4.84 to 5.90%,which is lower than previous experimental data.Furthermore,the theoretical excitation functions of the 127I(n,2n)126I and 133Cs(n,2n)132Cs reactions were calculated using the TALYS-1.95 and EMPIRE-3.2.3 codes.Then,the experimentally determined cross-sections were analyzed by comparing them with literature data available in the EXFOR database and evaluated nuclear data in the ENDF/B-VIII.0,JEFF-3.3,JENDL-5,BROND-3.1,CENDL-3.2,and TENDL-2021 databases.Compared with the values previously reported in the 13.8-14.8 MeV energy region,the precision of the results obtained in this study was greatly improved.The current experimental results with thorough uncertainties and covariance information are critical for verifying the reliability of the theoretical model and improving the quality of the nuclear database.

The C_(6)D_(6)detector system on the Back-n beam line of CSNS

Introduction The neutron capture cross sections are very important in the field of nuclear device design and basic physics research.Hydrogen-free liquid scintillator such as C_(6)D_(6)detectors are widely used in the neutron capture cross-sectional measurements for the low neutron sensitivity and fast time response.The Back-n white neutron source at China Spallation Neutron Source is the first spallation white neutron source in China,and it is suitable for neutron capture cross-sectional measurement.Materials and methods A C_(6)D_(6)detector system was built in the Back-n experimental station.The pulse height weighting technique was used to determine the system’s detection efficiency.The response to gamma rays of the C_(6)D_(6)detector was measured,and the energy resolution function was determined.Monte Carlo simulation with Geant4 code was carried out to get the weighting function of this C_(6)D_(6)detector system.Additionally,the systematic uncertainty of the weighting function was also determined.Conclusion According to the experimental and simulation results,this C_(6)D_(6)detector system can be used to measure neutron capture cross section.