Effective extraction of photoneutron cross-section distribution using gamma activation and reaction yield ratio method

Photoneutron cross-section(PNCS)data are important in various current and emerging applications.Although a few sophis-ticated methods have been developed,there is still an urgent need to study the PNCS data.In this study,we propose the extraction of PNCS distributions using a combination of gamma activation and reaction yield ratio methods.To verify the validity of the proposed extraction method,experiments for generating^(62,64)Cu and^(85m,87m)Sr isotopes via laser-induced pho-toneutron reactions were performed,and the reaction yields of these isotopes were obtained.Using the proposed extraction method,the PNCS distributions of^(63)Cu and^(86)Sr isotopes(leading to^(85m)Sr isotope production)were successfully extracted.These extracted PNCS distributions were benchmarked against available PNCS data or TALYS calculations,demonstrating the validity of the proposed extraction method.Potential applications for predicting the PNCS distributions of the 30 iso-topes are further introduced.We conclude that the proposed extraction method is an effective complement to the available sophisticated methods for measuring and evaluating PNCS data.

Impact of photoneutrons on reactivity measurements for TMSR-SF1

The solid-fueled thorium molten salt reactor(TMSR-SF1) is a 10 MW_(th) test reactor design to be deployed in 5-10 years by the TMSR group.Its design combines coated particle fuel and molten FLiBe coolant for great intrinsic safety features and economic advantages.Due to a large amount of beryllium in the coolant salt,photoneutrons are produced by(y,n) reaction,hence the increasing fraction of effective delayed neutrons in the core by the photoneutrons originating from the long-lived fission products.Some of the delayed photoneutron groups are of long lifetime,so a direct effect is resulted in the transient process and reactivity measurement.To study the impact of photoneutrons for TMSR-SF1,the effective photoneutron fraction is estimated using k-ratio method and performed by the Monte Carlo code(MCNP5) with ENDF/B-Ⅶ cross sections.Based on the coupled neutronphoton point kinetics equations,influence of the photoneutrons is analyzed.The results show that the impact of photoneutrons is not negligible in reactivity measurement.Without considering photoneutrons in on-line reactivity measurement based on inverse point kinetics can result in overestimation of the positive reactivity and underestimation of the negative reactivity.The photoneutrons also lead to more waiting time for the doubling time measurement.Since the photoneutron precursors take extremely long time to achieve equilibrium,a "steady" power operation may not directly imply a "real" criticality.

Improvement of the Bayesian neural network to study the photoneutron yield cross sections

This work is an attempt to improve the Bayesian neural network (BNN) for studying photoneutron yield cross sections as a function of the charge number Z, mass number A, and incident energy ε. The BNN was improved in terms of three aspects:numerical parameters, input layer, and network structure. First, by minimizing the deviations between the predictions and data, the numerical parameters, including the hidden layer number, hidden node number, and activation function, were selected. It was found that the BNN with three hidden layers, 10 hidden nodes, and sigmoid activation function provided the smallest deviations. Second, based on known knowledge,such as the isospin dependence and shape effect, the optimal ground-state properties were selected as input neurons. Third, the Lorentzian function was applied to map the hidden nodes to the output cross sections, and the empirical formula of the Lorentzian parameters was applied to link some of the input nodes to the output cross sections. It was found that the last two aspects improved the predictions and avoided overfitting, especially for the axially deformed nucleus.

Monte Carlo simulation for bremsstrahlung and photoneutron yields in high-energy x-ray radiography

This paper reports on the results of calculations using a Monte Carlo code （MCNP5） to study the properties of photons, electrons and photoneutrons obtained in the converted target and their transportations in x-ray radiography. A comparison between measurements and calculations for bremsstrahlung and photoneutrons is presented. The radiographic rule and the effect of the collimator on the image are studied with the experimental model. The results provide exact parameters for the optimal design of radiographic layout and shielding systems.

A tabletop, ultrashort pulse photoneutron source driven by electrons from laser wakefield acceleration

Relativistic electron beams driven by laser wakefield acceleration were utilized to produce ultrashort neutron sources.The experiment was carried out on the 38 fs,~0.5 J,800 nm Ti:Sapphire laser in the 10 TW UT 3 laser lab at University of Texas at Austin.The target gas was a high density pulsed gas jet composed of 90%He and 10%N 2.The laser pulse with a peak intensity of 1.5×10^(18) W/cm^(2) interacted with the target to create a cylindrical plasma channel of 60 mm radius(FWHM)and 1.5 mm length(FWHM).Electron beams of~80 pC with the Gaussian energy distribution centered at 37 MeV and a width of 30 MeV(FWHM)were produced via laser wakefield acceleration.Neutron fluences of~2.4×10^(6) per shot with hundreds of ps temporal length were generated through bremsstrahlung and subsequent photoneutron reactions in a 26.6 mm thick tungsten converter.Results were compared with those of simulations using EPOCH and GEANT4,showing agreement in electron spectrum,neutron fluence,neutron angular distribution and conversion rate.

Production of medical radioisotope ^(64)Cu by photoneutron reaction using ELI-NP γ-ray beam

Copper-64 is a radioisotope of medical interest that could be used for positron emission tomography imaging and targeted radiotherapy of cancer. In this work,we investigated the possibility of producing the^(64)Cu isotope through a^(65)Cu(γ,n) reaction using high-intensity γ-beams produced at the Extreme Light InfrastructureNuclear Physics facility(ELI-NP). The specific activity for^(64)Cu was obtained as a function of target geometry, irradiation time, and electron beam energy, which translates into γ-beam energy. Optimized conditions for the generation of^(64)Cu isotopes at the ELI-NP were discussed. We estimated that an achievable saturation specific activity is of the order of 1–2 m Ci/g for thin targets(radius 1–2 mm,thickness 1 cm) and for a γ-beam flux of 10^(11) s ~1. Based on these results, the ELI-NP could provide great potential for the production of some innovative radioisotopes of medical interest in sufficient quantities suitable for nuclear medicine research.

Dose rate distribution of photoneutrons in an ID beamline of SSRF: simulations and measurements

Photoneutrons, emitted by means of photonuclear interactions when gas bremsstrahlung interacts with beamline components, can be another potential radiation source needed to be considered for shielding design and dose assessment of beamline. In this paper, simulations and measurements of photoneutrons dose rate at beamline BL09 U are carried out when Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility(SSRF) running at Top-up mode(3.5 GeV, 235 mA). A geometry model is constructed for the beamline BL09 U with considerations of the scattering process of the major optical components. The model is compiled into Monte Carlo simulation code FLUKA to calculate photoneutron dose distribution. Measurements of the photoneutrons dose rate were performed by using Environmental Neutron Monitor(ENM). Observation points were arranged uniformly along the inside and outside of the optical enclosure(OE) of BL09 U. The calculation results agree with experiments within the measurements uncertainties. It is verified that photoneutrons dose simulation is reliable. The simulation and measurement methods can be applied to evaluate the neutron dose level of other beamline stations, and provide references for the shielding design of the beamlines at SSRF in the near future.

Evaluation of the fraction of delayed photoneutrons for TMSR-SF1

The 10 MW_(th) solid-fueled thorium molten salt reactor(TMSR-SF1) is a FLi Be salt-cooled pebble bed reactor to be deployed in 5–10 years, designed by the TMSR group. Due to a large amount of beryllium in the core, the photoneutrons are produced via(γ , n) reactions.Some of them are generated a long time after the fission event and therefore are considered as delayed neutrons. In this paper, we redefine the effective delayed neutrons into two fractions: the delayed fission neutron fraction and the delayed photoneutron fraction. With some reasonable assumptions, the inner product method and the k-ratio method are adopted for studying the effective delayed photoneutron fraction. In the k-ratio method, the Monte Carlo code MCNP6 is used to evaluate the effective photoneutron fraction as the ratio between the multiplication factors with and without contribution of the delayed neutrons and photoneutrons. In the inner product method, with the Monte Carlo and deterministic codes together, we use the adjoint neutron flux as a weighting function for the neutrons and photoneutrons generated in the core. Results of the two methods agree well with each other, but the k-ratio method requires much more computing time for the same precision.

Characteristics of a heavy water photoneutron source in boron neutron capture therapy

Bremsstrahlung photon beams produced by medical linear accelerators are currently the most commonly used method of radiation therapy for cancerous tumors. Photons with energies greater than 8-10 MeV potentially generate neutrons through photonuclear interactions in the accelerator＇s treatment head, patient＇s body, and treat- ment room ambient. Electrons impinging on a heavy target generate a cascade shower of bremsstrahlung photons, the energy spectrum of which shows an end point equal to the electron beam energy. By varying the target thickness, an optimum thickness exists for which, at the given electron energy, maximum photon flux is achievable. If a source of high-energy photons i.e. bremsstrahlung, is conveniently directed to a suitable D20 target, a novel approach for production of an acceptable flux of filterable photoneturons for boron neutron capture therapy （BNCT） application is possible. This study consists of two parts. 1. Comparison and assessment of deuterium photonuclear cross section data. 2. Evaluation of the heavy water photonuclear source.

Photoneutron dose and flux determination of a typical LINAC by MCNP simulation

Purpose High-energy electron linear accelerators(LINACs)have a wide use in radiotherapy.The photoneutron production in medical linear accelerators,when operating at energies greater than 10 MeV,is an important subject to consider in patient’s treatment procedures.In this work,we simulate a typical LINAC to calculate photoneutron dose and flux in radiotherapy room.Methods The latest version of MCNPX Monte Carlo code along with MCNP visual editor has been used to simulate the LINAC and its components.Photoneutron production has been successfully simulated by selecting appropriate physics card and parameters.Dose and flux of produced photoneutrons have been calculated by using mesh tally function.Results Production of photoneutrons in LINAC head and its components have been successfully simulated by using MCNPX code.MCNP visual editor has been used to track the particles.Photoneutron dose and flux have been calculated using mesh tally function,with good results of statistical tests.Conclusion The photoneutron production has been successfully simulated and benchmarked.The proposed simulation code is able to calculate photoneutron dose and flux.According to photoneutron production cross sections,the appropriate parameters have been selected to reduce the run-time of simulation code.

Simulation and test of the SLEGS TOF spectrometer at SSRF

The Shanghai laser electron gamma source(SLEGS)is a powerful tool for exploring photonuclear physics,such as giant dipole resonance(GDR)and pygmy dipole resonance,which are the main mechanisms of collective nuclear motion.The goal of the SLEGS neutron time-of-flight(TOF)spectrometer is to measure GDR and specific nuclear structures in the energy region above the neutron threshold.The SLEGS TOF spectrometer was designed to hold 20 sets of EJ301 and LaBr3 detectors.Geant4 was used to simulate the efficiency of each detector and the entire spectrometer,which provides a reference for the selection of detectors and layout of the SLEGS TOF spectrometer.Under the events of 208Pb,implementations of coincidence and time-of-flight technology for complex experiments are available;thus,and neutron decay events can be separated.The performance of SLEGS TOF spectrometer was systematically evaluated using offline experiments,in which the time resolution reached approximately 0.9 ns.

HL-1托卡马克中逃逸电子的最高能量和光致中子

本文描述我们在实验观察到每次放电结束之前或大破裂之后,强烈的高能X射线出现,同时伴随着较强的光致中子辐射。其时逃逸电子的最大能量,在考虑到回旋辐射损失及逃逸电子速度的径向分量引起的回旋半径变小等情况后经计算可达50-62MeV,光致中子的强度为2.5×10^(10)s^(-1),与JET在破裂条件下的经验定标关系大致相符。

基于白光中子源的核石墨硼当量测量

核材料中热中子吸收截面高的杂质会引起堆芯反应性的变化,一般用硼当量表示这些杂质对热中子的吸收,硼当量是衡量核材料纯度的重要指标之一。热中子宏观吸收截面法是硼当量测量的方法之一,测量时采用同位素中子源则精度低,而白光中子源产生的中子强度高、方向性好,且可慢化为热谱,能有效提高硼当量测量精度。本文基于15 MeV电子加速器驱动的白光中子源开展核石墨硼当量测量的研究,利用蒙特卡罗模拟并优化实验方案,对实验数据进行检验与修正,建立核石墨硼当量测量定量分析方法。该方法能快速、准确检测核材料的硼当量,对反应堆的物理设计、安全性评估等具有重要意义。

重水反应堆启动“盲区”特性模拟研究

采用MCNP程序和ORIGEN-ARP程序对以重水为慢化剂的研究堆低功率水平下光激中子特性进行计算,以此反应堆核测量系统为例研究了由于光激中子强度低导致反应堆启动"盲区"的机理。分析结果表明,停堆后50 d内光激中子大约为1×109n/s数量级,在停堆超过150 d以后核测系统将无法探测到临界状态以及次临界状态下堆内中子水平的变化,导致"盲区"的产生,在停堆超过200 d后光激中子强度约为1×107n/s数量级。

Study on inherent neutron sources in MSR

The molten salt reactor(MSR) has received much recent attention. The presence of beryllium and the mixing of actinides with light nuclei in the fuel salt result in a relatively strong neutron source that can affect the surveillance at subcritical and transient characteristics during operation. In this study, we predict the inherent neutron sources based on a MSR model. The calculation shows that in the fresh core, the inherent neutron sources are mainly from alpha-induced neutrons. After power operation, the inherent neutron sources become remarkably stronger due to photoneutrons. Although being an insignificant part in the total neutron population during operation, the inherent neutron sources can be used as the installed neutron source after shutdown. If the MSR has continuously operated at full power(2 MWt) for 10 days,then there would be no need for the installed source within80 days after shutdown. After operating constantly for500 days, the installed neutron source can be eliminated within 2 years after shutdown.

重水研究堆光激中子强度--停闭时间特性研究

本文利用ORIGEN-ARP程序计算得到重水堆停堆后堆内γ源强,通过D(γ,n) H反应率与γ源强关系计算出重水堆停堆后光激中子源强水平变化。研究结果表明,重水堆停闭1 900 d后光激中子源强水平约为7.2×106n/s,比首次临界外加的Am-Be源强度高,物理启动无需添加外加中子源。

神龙一号装置产生的共振能区光中子特性模拟研究

中子共振测温具有非浸入式测量、内部温度测量、局部温度分布测量等优点,但高强度脉冲中子源的欠缺限制了其广泛使用。为探讨神龙一号装置作为脉冲中子源用于中子共振测温可行性,用MCNP5软件计算了其产生的光中子特性,得到其光中子产额为1.34×1011个每电子脉冲,宽度约为90ns,采用8cm厚的铀靶产额高达7.47×1012个每电子脉冲,单脉冲中子数只比散裂源小一个数量级。计算了多种慢化剂对光中子的慢化结果,结果显示神龙一号可以作为一个强度较高、脉冲较窄的中子源,可对其用于中子共振测温做进一步研究。

增强光中子成像空间分辨率的方法研究

X射线和中子联合成像能够极大的提升针对不同种类违禁材料的鉴别能力。光中子源具有中子产额高,系统稳定性好,既是X射线源又是中子源的优点,其不足之处在于中子探测会受到X射线脉冲的干扰,而为了避免这种干扰采用慢化中子延时错开X射线脉冲的解决办法又将带来新的问题,即中子探测空间分辨率的恶化。本文提出了一种新颖的探测慢化后光中子的方法,能够极大地提升光中子探测的空间分辨率,并设计了一套光中子成像原型系统,通过模拟手段评估了系统的各项参数性能,获得了理想的模拟成像结果,验证了方法的可行性。

光中子成像多路数据获取系统研制

研制了一套用于强X射线场下多路中子探测器信号处理和采集的数据获取系统。该系统接收探测器信号,分别对其做不同时间范围的积分,两个积分信号的幅度可用作波形甄别。采用现场可编程逻辑器件(FPGA)和硬件描述语言(verilog)实现对探测器和前端电路的测量控制,得到的数据经STM32微控制器控制传输给计算机。使用两种输入信号进行信号采集测试表明:该系统可正常地进行采集工作,得到的数据能够用于区分不同形状的信号。

光中子源的优化设计

文章研究了基于9MeV电子加速器的光中子源的优化设计问题,提出了使X射线最有效地转换为中子的光中子转换靶的最优形状。利用蒙卡程序MCNP5设计了体积为20L的重水光中子转换靶,当加速器的平均电流为100μA时,中子产额可达2.3×10^(11)n/s。通过增加特定形状的石墨反射层使更多的中子向前发射,正前方10m处中子注量率可达8.55×10~4n/(cm^2·s)。文中还计算了出射中子的能谱、空间分布和时间特性。