D-T中子源束斑尺寸测量技术及应用

D-T中子发生器作为高能中子源,已用于特种核材料的有源探测技术中,利用时间符合法可实现被测物体的多模式成像,而中子源束斑尺寸是影响成像位置分辨的一个重要的因素。因此,结合D-T反应的特点和实际应用环境,开发了n-α关联符合测量确定中子源束斑尺寸的方法。利用该方法对小型移动中子发生器的束斑尺寸进行了测量,获得的束斑尺寸为（2.8±0.9） mm,与用CCD相机直接观测得到的约3 mm的测量结果一致,证明了该方法测量束斑尺寸的可行性。该方法也可用于辅助D-T中子源调束和关联粒子成像实验过程中的束斑监测。     

Beam Spot Size Measurement Technology and Application for D-T Neutron Source

As a high-energy neutron source, the D-T neutron generator has been used in the active detection technology of special nuclear materials. The time coincidence method can be used to achieve multi-mode imaging of the measured object, and the beam spot size of the neutron source is a very important factor that affects the imaging position resolution. Therefore, combined with the characteristics of D-T reaction and practical application environment, a method for n-α correlation coincidence measurement to determine the beam spot size of neutron source was developed. This method was used to measure the beam spot size of a small mobile neutron generator. The beam spot size obtained is （2.8±0.9） mm, which is consistent with the measurement result of about 3 mm obtained by direct observation with CCD camera, which proves that this method is feasible. This method can also be used to assist D-T neutron source beam tuning and beam spot size monitoring in associated particle imaging experiments.     

基于伴随粒子的快中子成像系统角分辨研究

不同于传统的快中子成像系统,采用伴随粒子成像技术无需机械准直即可消除大部分γ射线和散射中子的干扰,实现对厚重物体的高对比度成像。角分辨是影响系统成像质量的一项重要参数。通过理论分析,研究了入射离子的初始动量、靶点尺寸和探测器空间分辨等多个因素对系统角分辨的影响。利用基于GEANT4的模拟程序,计算了不同参数下被标记中子出射角分布的二维图像。分析及模拟结果表明,靶点直径和α探测器空间分辨率是影响角分辨的重要因素。为满足系统角分辨小于1°的设计目标,入射离子的初始动量变化范围应较小,靶点直径应小于1 mm,同时α探测器的空间分辨率应小于0.5 mm。     

多探测器快中子飞行时间谱仪

描述了一台串列加速器HI-13上的多探测器快中子飞行时间谱仪,并与国际上同类谱仪进行了比较。本谱仪主要用于能量大于8 MeV的快中子散射实验、次级中子双微分截面及带电粒子引起的出射中子能谱的测量。简要介绍了谱仪各主要部分(包括零信号拾取筒、氘气体靶、探测器、电子学等)的结构和特性及其在快中子实验中的应用。     

First results obtained using the CENBG nanobeam line: Performances and applications

A high resolution focused beam line has been recently installed on the AIFIRA (“Applications Interdisciplinaires des Faisceaux d’Ions en Région Aquitaine”) facility at CENBG. This nanobeam line, based on a doublet-triplet configuration of Oxford Microbeam Ltd. OM-50™ quadrupoles, offers the opportunity to focus protons, deuterons and alpha particles in the MeV energy range to a sub-micrometer beam spot. The beam optics design has been studied in detail and optimized using detailed ray-tracing simulations and the full mechanical design of the beam line was reported in the Debrecen ICNMTA conference in 2008. During the last two years, the lenses have been carefully aligned and the target chamber has been fully equipped with particle and X-ray detectors, microscopes and precise positioning stages. The beam line is now operational and has been used for its first applications to ion beam analysis. Interestingly, this set-up turned out to be a very versatile tool for a wide range of applications. Indeed, even if it was not intended during the design phase, the ion optics configuration offers the opportunity to work either with a high current microbeam (using the triplet only) or with a lower current beam presenting a sub-micrometer resolution (using the doublet-triplet configuration).The performances of the CENBG nanobeam line are presented for both configurations. Quantitative data concerning the beam lateral resolutions at different beam currents are provided. Finally, the first results obtained for different types of application are shown, including nuclear reaction analysis at the micrometer scale and the first results on biological samples.     

100 MeV质子回旋加速器二期辐照效应管道设计

针对中国原子能科学研究院100 MeV质子回旋加速器上的单粒子效应辐照装置进行了二期管道设计,采用八极磁铁校正法对束流进行了扩束及均匀化,最终在靶上得到了一个30 cm×30 cm、均匀性好于92%的均匀分布的束斑,满足了单粒子效应实验的需求。为降低靶站处的束流能散及中子本底,采用两级降能的方案,在偏转磁铁前放置1个降能片,将能量分为100 MeV和40 MeV两档,并分别针对这两个能量点进行方案设计,束流利用率均在42%以上。公差分析结果表明,四极磁铁对靶上束斑均匀性的影响大于八极磁铁,安装过程中应优先保证四极磁铁的安装公差。     

The limitations of associated alpha particle technique for contraband container inspections

Inspection of a shipping container for the presence of the threat materials has been investigated in the laboratory by using a 14 MeV neutron beam, a BaF₂ gamma detector and the associated alpha particle technique. The associated alpha particle technique is proposed as a part of a two sensor system for contraband container inspections. This method is effective in the reduction of background radiation with the possibility of collimating electronically the neutron beam.The intrinsic time resolution has been experimentally estimated to be 1.3 ns (FWHM), which allows inspection of a minimum voxel having 7 cm depth along the neutron flight path. The neutron beam intensity plays a crucial role as a limiting factor for the acquisition time reduction. Single counting rates of the gamma and alpha detector were investigated as a function of the neutron intensity, distance between the gamma detector and the neutron source and the type of shielding. The time and the energy spectra for different neutron intensities were evaluated.     

The Progress of a Microbeam Facility in the Institute of Plasma Physics

The progress of a microbeam facility in the institute of Plasma Physics was discussed in this paper.This kind of equipment can supply single-particle beam which may be implanted into cells in micrometer-radius and measured by a new outstanding detector among global microbeam systems.Measurements by some plain targets showed that the highest current after the accelerator tube can be larger than 20μA ,the H2^ current before the second bending magnet is near 0.9μA ,the current after the second bending magnet is near 0.8μA,and the current of the beam line(after a 2-mm diameter aperture)is near 0.25nA which is enough for the single-particle microbeam experiment.It took scientists 3 months to do their microbeam experiment after setting up the qccelerator beam line and get the microbeam from this equipment.Two pre0collimators were installed between the 2-mm diameter aperture and the collimator to survey the beam.Tracks on the CR39 film ectched in the solution of NaOH showed that the beam can go through the collimator including a 10μm diameter aperture and the 3.5μm thick vacuum sealing film(Mylar).A new method,which is called optimization of the beam quality,was put forward in this paper,in order to get smaller diameter of beam-spot in microbeam system.     

70MeV质子加速器产生的白光中子源强度和能谱的计算

用７０ＭｅＶ质子束轰击厚靶可产生白光中子源。选用金属钨作厚靶材料，应用适用于几十ＭｅＶ能区的核反应模型程序计算了中子能谱和角分布。结果表明：７０ｍｅＶ质子束在钨厚靶中终止前有４．６％的质子发生了反应，２００μＡ的７０ＭｅＶ质子束流产生的中子总强度为１．０１×１０１４Ｓ－１，中子平均能量为４．２ＭｅＶ，１０ＭｅＶ以上的中子强度为１．１５×１０１３Ｓ－１，高能中子主要在朝前的小角度区发射。     

γ全吸收型探测装置中子束流监视器的Geant4模拟

利用Geant4模拟了γ全吸收型探测装置中用于中子束流监视的锂玻璃探测器的相对探测效率，给出了锂玻璃探测器在10keV～1MeV区间的中子探测效率，并对影响探测效率的相关因素进行了分析，讨论了弹性散射引起的时间滞后对TOF(time-of-flight)测量的影响和不同厚度锂玻璃探测器的n-γ分辨效果。在未来使用锂玻璃探测器作为keV中子源监视器时，这项工作将为更好地理解相关中子飞行时间谱和能谱提供依据。     

Inversion of neutron/gamma spectra from scintillator measurements

The Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) on-board NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover will measure charged particles as well as neutron and gamma radiation on the Martian surface. Neutral particles are an important contribution to this radiation environment. RAD measures them with a CsI (Tl) and a plastic scintillator, which are both surrounded by an anticoincidence. The incident neutron/gamma spectrum is obtained from the measurements using inversion methods which often fit a functional behavior, e.g., a power law, to the measured data applying the instrument response function and, e.g., a least-squares method. In situations where count rates are small, i.e., where the stochastic nature of the measurement is evident, maximum likelihood estimates with underlying Poissonian statistics improve the resulting spectra. We demonstrate the measurement and inversion of gamma/neutron spectra for a detector concept featuring one high-density scintillator and one high-proton-content scintillator. The applied inversion methods derive the original spectra without any strong assumptions of the functional behavior. Instrument response functions are obtained from Monte-Carlo simulations in matrix form with which the instrument response is treated as a set of linear equations. Using the response matrices we compare a constrained least-squares minimization, a chi-squared minimization and a maximum likelihood method with underlying Poissonian statistics. We make no assumptions about the incident particle spectrum and the methods intrinsically satisfy the constraint of non-negative counts. We analyzed neutron beam measurements made at the Physikalisch Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) and inverted the measurement data for both neutron and gamma spectra. Monte-Carlo-generated measurements of the expected Martian neutron/gamma spectra were inverted as well, here the maximum likelihood method with underlying Poissonian statistics produces significantly better results.     

A model for the detector response function in neutron depth profiling

Present practice in thermal neutron depth profiling (TNDP) is to use small fractional detector solid angles of the order of 0.1% or less. This allows one to assume that the distortion in the charged particle spectra caused by the solid angle subtended by the detector can be approximated by a Gaussian distribution. While this simplifies the mathematical analysis greatly, it requires very long nuclear reactor irradiation times for many applications of interest.The present paper derives and verifies a model for spectral distortion caused by detecting with circular detectors subtending any solid angle, which allows the use of much larger detector solid angles and correspondingly shorter irradiations.Experimental results with a circular silicon surface barrier detector in conjunction first with a circular coaxially mounted ²⁴¹Am source of alpha particles passing through various thickness of mylar and then with a boron doped silicon wafer mounted in a thermal neutron reactor beam at a 30 ° angle so as to give an elliptically shaped target of alpha particles both gave excellent agreement with the derived model. The latter experiment is a typical TNDP application.     

复旦大学单粒子微束研制进展

建设了一基于复旦大学2×3 MV串列加速器的单粒子微束装置。离子束经分析磁铁30°水平偏转传输后再经90°偏转磁铁竖直上行至辐照终端,以内径1.5 μm的毛细玻璃管微准直器获取离子微束。采用薄膜闪烁体结合光电倍增管的探测结构对微束离子进行精确探测和计数,并以高压静电偏转开关快速关断束流以实现对离子数目的精确控制。目前实验已获得在质子能量为3 MeV时,能散（能量分布曲线中半高宽FWHM）<60 keV、束分辨<2.2 μm、定量照射精度>95%的质子微束。本文对复旦大学单粒子微束的束流管道设计、微束获取、束开关及单粒子探测等核心环节的研制进展进行介绍。     

Experimental study on cold fusion using deuterium gas and deuterium ion beam with palladium

A series of experiments using deuterium gas and low energy deuteron beam with palladium has been designed at Mississippi State University to allow for the observation, if it exists, of cold fusion. Three experiments were performed. One involved the diffusion transient of deuterium gas into palladium. The gas was cooled by liquid nitrogen, and its temperature was permitted to rise to room temperature, changing from near –34°C to 19°C in 75 minutes. A spherical lithium neutron detector, 21 cm from the palladium, gave an audible indication of neutron levels approximately twice the background. A second experiment used a deuterium ion beam (1 kev) which bombarded a palladium target. An average counting rate of 36±6 counts for 2 minutes was measured by a BF₃ tube with a paraffin moderator, 50 cm from the target. The background varied from 1–7 counts for each 2 minutes of counting period and averaged 4±2 counts in 2 minutes. A nitrogen ion beam impinging on the same palladium target produced 6 counts for a 2-minute counting period. A third experiment used a hydrogen ion beam first, then a nitrogen ion beam, finally a deuterium ion beam to bombard the same palladium target. These ion beams had energy less than 1 kev, and created neutron counts in the range of background. The palladium specimens were a piece of foil and a tube which used to be the palladium leak in a neutron generator. These preliminary experiments will be repeated, improved, and extended later.     

强流加速器D-Be中子源中子慢化引出研究

为优化成像中子束注量率和能谱,在考虑中子源能谱、角分布、面源结构及靶系统条件下,利用MCNP程序模拟源中子的慢化和输运过程,记录不同模型时慢化体内热中子注量率分布和成像中子束成分。结果表明,聚乙烯更适合用作小型热中子源慢化反射材料;D+束轰击靶面的束斑大小影响热中子在慢化体内的分布,束斑半径在1cm内变化对中子慢化影响较小;增加热中子引出孔道与D+束轴线的夹角能有效提高引出热中子束的纯度。     

The use of the Wien filter to eliminate object slit scattering in MeV ion nanobeam systems

One of the fundamental limitations in the performance of MeV ion microbeam focusing systems is the effect of ion scattering at the edges of the object aperture. As the aperture is reduced in the search for smaller spot sizes, the fraction of scattered to unscattered beam increases. The scattered beam contains lower energy particles which can be transmitted through the system to create a halo of over-focused particles surrounding the final image. Removal of this halo is critical to achieving small spot sizes, especially in single ion applications.In this paper, we discuss the use of a Wien filter (crossed magnetic and electrostatic fields) to deflect the reduced energy scattered particles and ensure that only ions with the correct energy are accepted into the lens. This paper reviews the beam optics of Wien filter systems and presents calculations of the parameters required to obtain useful energy dispersion.     

Two approaches for irradiating cells individually: a charged-particle microbeam and a soft X-ray microprobe

We are developing two independent, but complementary microbeams for irradiating cells individually in vitro. Firstly, a charged-particle microbeam that uses a fine-bore glass capillary, combined with a transmission detector to precisely irradiate cells with exact numbers of energetic charge-particles and secondly, a soft X-ray microprobe that produces a very fine beam of carbon-K (278 eV) ultrasoft X-rays, focused to a spot size < 100 nm. X-ray focusing is achieved using zone-plate diffraction lenses developed initially for X-ray microscopy applications.     

Slit scattering in a microbeam set-up

Slit scattering of beam particles in a microbeam set-up becomes significant for low current applications and thus limits its lateral resolution and application potential. In this work, the angular and energy distributions of beam particles interacting with cylindrically shaped slit-jaws of different radii, surface roughnesses, and materials are calculated numerically, employing the computer code SRIM. To quantitatively investigate their effect on the beam spot quality of a microbeam set-up, a quality factor is proposed as an index to evaluate the effect of slit-scattered particles on the beam spot. The results of the investigation reveal a high sensitivity of slit scattering in relation to the slit-jaw surface roughness.     

Biased Selection of Particle Flight Directions as a Variance Reduction Technique in Monte Carlo Calculations

As a practical variance reduction technique applicable to Monte Carlo shielding calculations, the present article shows a new simple biased sampling technique on particle flight directions. Scattered particles not directed towards the detector positions are killed if they are not so important, that is, if the particle weights are sufficiently small compared to the source weight. In this way, we can reduce the sample size required for obtaining an accurate estimate for the detector response.

The present technique was incorporated into the multigroup neutron and γ-ray transport code MORSE, and sample calculations were performed on spherical fast neutron systems. The results have shown that this biased technique is effective for dealing with neutron multiplication as well as neutron transmission problems. The neutron flux or the effective multiplication factor of a nuclear reactor is estimated more accurately than from the method of path-length stretching with about the same computation time. In addition, it is shown that the flight-direction biasing can further effectively be used by combining it with other variance reduction techniques.     

用于CSNS反角白光中子能谱及注量率测量的快裂变室

即将建成的中国散裂中子源(China Spallation Neutron Source,CSNS)反角白光中子束线可为核数据测量提供高注量率的脉冲白光中子束流,填补我国核数据测量用白光中子源的空白,提高我国核数据测量水平,满足核能、核技术及基础核物理研究对核数据的需求。该束线建成后,其中子能谱及注量率的精确测量将是开展其它物理实验的基础,快裂变电离室因其独特优点被选为中子能谱和注量率测量探测器。通过实验研究了快裂变电离室的粒子分辨性能、时间分辨性能;确定阴、阳极的合理间距为10 mm,据此测得电离室的时间分辨约15 ns;利用235U样品量计算的探测效率与利用伴随粒子法给出的探测效率在不确定度范围内符合,因此可以标定快裂变室的探测效率。通过这些工作,完成了满足反角白光中子束能谱及注量率测量需求的快裂变室的物理设计。