Neutron shielding optimization studies
Name
Neutron shielding.pdf
Size
849.3 KB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
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Author(s)
Bungau, Adriana
Barlow, Roger
Shaevitz, Michael
Bartoszek, Larry
Alonso, Jose Ramon
Conrad, Janet Marie
Date Issued
May 2015
Journal
Proceedings of the 6th International Particle Accelerator Conference (IPAC2015)
Publisher
International Particle Accelerator Conference
Citation
Bungau, Adriana, Roger Barlow, Michael Shaevitz, Jose Alonso, Larry Bartoszek and Janet Conrad. "Neutron Shielding Optimization Studies." Proceedings of IPAC2015, Richmond, VA, USA, pp. 2282-2284.
Version
Final published version
Abstract
The IsoDAR sterile-neutrino search calls for a high neutron flux from a 60 MeV proton beam striking a beryllium target, that flood a sleeve of highly-enriched 7Li, the beta-decay of the resulting 8Li giving the desired neutrinos for the very-short-baseline experiment. The target is placed very close to an existing large neutrino detector; all such existing or planned detectors are deep underground, in low-background environments. It is necessary to design a shielding enclosure to prevent neutrons from causing unacceptable activation of the environment. GEANT4 is being used to study neutron attenuation, and optimizing the layers of shielding material to minimize thickness. Materials being studied include iron and two new types of concrete developed by Jefferson Laboratory, one very light with shredded plastic aggregate, the other with high quantities of boron. Initial studies indicate that a total shielding thickness of 1.5 meters produces the required attenuation factor, further studies may allow decrease in thickness. Minimizing it will reduce the amount of cavity excavation needed to house the target system in confined underground spaces.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Laboratory for Nuclear Science
Terms of Use
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license
Persistent DSpace Link
DOI of Published Version
http://accelconf.web.cern.ch/AccelConf/IPAC2015/
