Optimization of Oil Extraction Conditions from Watermelon Seeds by Response Surface Methodology

Response surface methodology was used to optimize the extraction conditions of oil from watermelon seeds. Based on single factor experiments, the material to liquid ratio, extraction time and extraction solvent exhibited the highest effects on oil extraction. The mathematical model was established according to the Box-Behnken central composite design. The optimal extraction conditions consisted of a material to liquid ratio of 1：16.3 （g/ml）, an extraction time of 45.4 min, and petroleum ether as the organic solvent. The predicted and actual yields of watermelon seed oil were 27.92% and 28.04%, respectively. The extracted oil was analyzed by GC-MS. The results revealed that watermelon seed oil contained several types of acids and esters ; the relative percentages of the components were determined by a normalization method. The main fatty acids included linoleic acid, palmitic acid, oleic acid, and stearic acid, which accounted for 91.24% of the total components.

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.

Neutron capture cross section of ^(169)Tm measured at the CSNS Back-n facility in the energy region from 30 to 300 keV

The capture cross sections of the ^(169)Tm(n,γ)reaction were measured at the back streaming white neutron beam line(Back-n)of the China Spallation Neutron Source(CSNS)using four C_(6)D_(6) liquid scintillation detectors.The background subtraction,normalization,and correction were carefully considered in the data analysis to obtain accurate cross sections.For the resonance at 3.9 eV,the R-matrix code SAMMY was used to determine the resonance parameters with the internal normalization method.The average capture cross sections of ^(169)Tm for energy between 30 and 300 keV were extracted relative to the ^(197)Au(n,γ)reaction.The measured cross sections of the ^(169)Tm(n,γ)reaction were reported in logarithmically equidistant energy bins with 20 bins per energy decade with a total uncertainty of 5.4%-7.0% in this study and described in terms of average resonance parameters using a Hauser-Feshbach calculation with fluctuations.The point-wise cross sections and the average resonance parameters showed fair agreement with the evaluated values of the ENDF/B-Ⅷ.0 library in the energy region studied.

Measurement of the differential cross sections and angle-integrated cross sections of the ~6Li(n,t)~4 He reaction from 1.0 eV to 3.0 MeV at the CSNS Back-n white neutron source

The^6 Li(n,t)~4 He reaction was measured as the first experiment involving neutron-induced charged particle emission reactions at the CSNS(China Spallation Neutron Source)Back-n white neutron source.The differential cross-sections of the^6 Li(n,t)~4 He reaction at 15 detection angles ranging from 19.2°to 160.8°are obtained from 1.0 eV to 3.0 MeV at 80 neutron energy points;for 50 energy points below 0.1 MeV they are reported for the first time.The results indicate that the anisotropy of the emitted tritium is noticeable above E_n=100 eV.The angle-integrated cross-sections are also obtained.The present differential cross-sections agree in general with the previous evaluations,but there are some differences in the details.More importantly,the present results indicate that the cross-sections of the^6 Li(n,t)~4 He reaction might be overestimated by most evaluations in the 0.5-3.0 MeV region,although they are recommended as standards below 1.0 MeV.

Measurements of differential and angle-integrated cross sections for the 10B（n, α）7Li reaction in the neutron energy range from 1.0 eV to 2.5 MeV

Differential and angle-integrated cross sections for the 10B(n,α)^7 Li,10B(n,α0)^7 Li and 10B(n,α1)^7 Li^*reactions have been measured at CSNS Back-n white neutron source.Two enriched(90%)10B samples 5.0 cm in diameter and^85.0μg/cm^2 in thickness each with an aluminum backing were prepared,and back-to-back mounted at the sample holder.The charged particles were detected using the silicon-detector array of the Light-charged Particle Detector Array(LPDA)system.The neutron energy En was determined by TOF(time-of-flight)method,and the valid a events were extracted from the En-Amplitude two-dimensional spectrum.With 15 silicon detectors,the differential cross sections of a-particles were measured from 19.2°to 160.8°.Fitted with the Legendre polynomial series,the(n,a)cross sections were obtained through integration.The absolute cross sections were normalized using the standard cross sections of the 10B(n,α)^7 Li reaction in the 0.3-0.5 MeV neutron energy region.The measurement neutron energy range for the 10B(n,α)^7 Li reaction is 1.0 eV≤En<2.5 Me V(67 energy points),and that for the 10B(n,α0)^7 Li and10B(n,α1)^7 Li^*reactions is 1.0 eV≤En<1.0 MeV(59 energy points).The present results have been analyzed by the resonance reaction mechanism and the level structure of the 11B compound system,and compared with existing measurements and evaluations.

Initial years'neutron-induced cross-section measurements at the CSNS Back-n white neutron source

The Back-n white neutron source(known as Back-n)is based on back-streaming neutrons from the spallation target at the China Spallation Neutron Source(CSNS).With its excellent beam properties,e.g.,a neutron flux of approximately 1.8×107 n/cm2/s at 55 m from the spallation target,energy range spanning from 0.5 eV to 200 MeV,and time-of-flight resolution of a few per thousand,along with the equipped physical spectrometers,Back-n is considered to be among the best facilities in the world for carrying out nuclear data measurements.Since its completion and commencement of operation in May 2018,five types of cross-section measurements concerning neutron capture cross-sections,fission cross-sections,total cross-sections,light charged particle emissions,in-beam gamma spectra,and more than forty nuclides have been measured.This article presents an overview of the experimental setup and result analysis on the neutron-induced cross-section measurements and gamma spectroscopy at Back-n in the initial years.

Progress of Jinping Underground laboratory for Nuclear Astrophysics(JUNA)

Jinping Underground laboratory for Nuclear Astrophysics(JUNA) will take the advantage of the ultra-low background of CJPL lab and high current accelerator based on an ECR source and a highly sensitive detector to directly study for the first time a number of crucial reactions occurring at their relevant stellar energies during the evolution of hydrostatic stars. In its first phase, JUNA aims at the direct measurements of^(25)Mg(p,γ)^(26)Al,^(19)F(p,α)^(16)O,^(13)C(α,n)^(16)O and ^(12)C(α,γ)^(16)O reactions. The experimental setup,which includes an accelerator system with high stability and high intensity, a detector system, and a shielding material with low background, will be established during the above research. The current progress of JUNA will be given.

Measurement of differential cross sections of neutron-induced deuteron production reactions on carbon from 25 to 52 MeV

The angle-differential cross sections of neutron-induced deuteron production from carbon were measured at six neutron energies from 25 to 52 MeV relative to those of n-p elastic scattering at the China Spallation Neutron Source(CSNS)Back-n white neutron source.By employing theΔE-E telescopes of the Light-charged Particle Detector Array(LPDA)system at 15.1°to 55.0°in the laboratory system,ratios of the angle-differential cross sections of the ^(12)C(n,xd)reactions to those of the n-p scattering were measured,and then,the angle-differential cross sections of the ^(12)C(n,xd)reactions were obtained using the angle-differential cross sections of the n-p elastic scattering from the JENDL-4.0/HE-2015 library as the standard.The obtained results are compared with data from previous measurements,all of which are based on mono-energic neutrons,the evaluated data from the JENDL-4.0/HE-2015 library and the ENDF-B/VIII.0 library,and those from theoretical calculations based on INCA code and Talys-1.9 code.Being the first white-neutron-source-based systematic measurement of the angle-differential cross sections of neutron-induced deuteron production reactions on carbon in several tens of MeV,the present work can provide a reference to the data library considering the lack of experimental data.