Aspects of a high intensity neutron source

Abstract

A unique methodology for creating a neutron source model was developed for deuterons and protons incident on solid phase beryllium and lithium targets. This model was then validated against experimental results already available in literature. The model was found to adequately characterize the deuteron reactions, subject to the end user's desired tolerances, but only marginally so for the proton reactions. A nonstandard, yet practical, application of such a neutron source model was demonstrated by conducting activation analysis for materials reasonably likely to be components in an accelerator based neutron source. This analysis consisted of inducing activation by exposure in the MITR-II 5 MW research reactor, and then adjusting the results based on the model's calculated neutron response. The analysis thus illustrated the utility of the source model in characterizing the system, enabling component design and evaluation before fabrication.