基于D-D中子源的硼中子俘获治疗慢化体设计

为了探讨利用D-D中子源评估硼中子俘获治疗(Boron Neutron Capture Therapy,BNCT)中子通量探测器性能的可能性,本文利用蒙特卡罗模拟程序MCNP5(Monte Carlo N Particle Transport Code, version 5)设计了基于D-D中子源的BNCT慢化体,并最终给出了一种"5 cm聚乙烯(Polyethylene,PE)+24 cm氟化钛(TiF3)+22 cm氟化镁(MgF2)"的组合作为慢化层、20 cm的镍(Ni)作为反射层以及0.03 cm的镉(Cd)作为热中子吸收层的慢化体设计方案。模拟计算结果表明:D-D中子源经设计的慢化体慢化后形成的中子场可以用于BNCT中子通量探测器性能的实验测试。     

Supermirror neutron guide system for neutron resonance spin echo spectrometers at a pulsed neutron source

A neutron guide system for neutron resonance spin echo spectrometers has been constructed at BL06 of the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex, Materials and Life Science Experimental Facility. The spectrometers consist of two types of neutron spin echo instruments, a modulated intensity by zero effort instrument (MIEZE) and a neutron resonance spin echo instrument (NRSE), to cover a wide energy range for various sample environments. A neutron beam from the moderator is deflected by supermirror neutron guides, split, and separately guided into the MIEZE and NRSE. The characteristic wavelengths of the neutron guide tube for the MIEZE and NRSE are 2.9 and 4.9 Å, respectively. The cross sections of the exit of the MIEZE and NRSE guides are 15 mm × 50 mm and 30 mm × 50 mm, respectively. The neutronics and shielding design were optimized by using the heavy ion transport code system (PHITS), and the absolute average neutron fluxes at the exits of the MIEZE and NRSE guides are estimated to be 2.7 × 10⁸ and 6.9 × 10⁸ n/cm²/s/MW, respectively. The measured fluxes of the MIEZE and NRSE neutron guides are 0.56 and 0.95 times the calculated values, respectively.     

反应堆冷中子源中子物理学计算

用MCNP软件计算反应堆冷中子源,慢化剂室内平均中子注量率为6.69× 1013/cm-2.s-1,波长为0.4 nm和0.6 nm的冷中子增益因子～16和32.冷源慢化剂中正仲氢比例对输出的冷中子能谱有较大影响,而在3K范围内慢化剂温度变化对冷中子能谱的影响很小.计算结果表明,冷中子源性能达到基本设计要求.     

On-line subcriticality measurement using a pulsed spallation neutron source

To investigate the applicability of the pulsed neutron source method using a pulsed spallation neutron source for an on-line subcriticality monitoring system of an accelerator-driven system, a subcritical experiment is conducted using the Kyoto University Critical Assembly in combination with the fixed-field alternating gradient accelerator. Reactivity values obtained from different traditional techniques, the area-ratio method and the α-fitting method, are discussed with respect to the applicability to on-line subcriticality monitoring. The results show that the area-ratio method robustly and accurately monitors subcriticality in shallow subcritical states with negative reactivity of up to a few dollars; however, this method faces problems with temporal fluctuations, spatial dispersion, and sensitivity to the proton-beam current with increasing depth of subcriticality. On the other hand, it is shown that the α-fitting method alleviates such problems in deep subcritical states. Moreover, a proposed fitting technique using the maximum-likelihood estimation method based on the Poisson distribution is robust enough to be applicable to on-line subcriticality monitoring for negative reactivity levels of up to roughly nine dollars.     

冷中子源中氢系统的纵深防御设计

反应堆冷中子源装置的安全性包括核安全、辐射安全和氢安全,其中氢安全是最复杂的一方面.冷中子源氢系统一般采取纵深防御的安全设计方法,即通过多重屏障的技术措施尽可能杜绝氢和空气(氧气)直接接触的可能性.本文详细描述了一座建设中的反应堆冷中子源氢系统的纵深防御安全设计特点,这种安全设计可以确保冷中子源的氢安全性.     

Thermo-siphon mock-up test for the cold neutron source of HANARO

Due to the national demand for a cold neutron beam utilization, a cold neutron research facility project has been carried out since July 2003 to install a cold neutron source (CNS) in HANARO. The CNS adopts a two-phase thermo-siphon of liquid hydrogen as a working fluid to remove a heat load. The CNS consists of an in-pool assembly (IPA) and other components including a hydrogen buffer tank. The liquid level in the moderator cell is measured by a gamma-ray densitometer under a normal cold operation, and the cool down time to fill the required liquid hydrogen into the moderator cell is numerically simulated and compared with the experimental data from a thermo-siphon mock-up test. The self-regulating characteristic of the two-phase thermo-siphon loop is also confirmed by a comparison of a model simulation’s results, which use a thermodynamic model, with the experiment’s results. From these results, the HANARO-CNS is found to maintain the required conditions for a stable cold neutron production against a heat load variation along with the reactor’s power. Furthermore, the thermodynamic behavior in the IPA is observed to determine whether or not the integrity of the IPA is maintained under an abnormal condition of the helium refrigeration system.     

冷中子源封闭的两相热虹吸系统自稳特性研究

提出包含缓冲罐在内的封闭两相热虹吸自然循环回路的自稳模型.在缓冲罐与冷凝器间连接管的绝热和瞬间温度平衡两个条件下,研究其自稳特性,并与日本京都大学提出的模型进行了对比,提出提高自稳特性的措施.     

Neutron spectrum change with thermal moderator temperature in a compact electron accelerator-driven neutron source and its effects on spectroscopic neutron transmission imaging

Recently, Compact Accelerator-driven Neutron Sources (CANSs) are attracting attention. In CANSs, a simple thermal neutron moderator such as polyethylene is often used from the viewpoints of cost, simplicity and maintainability. In most cases, the temperature of such a moderator has not been controlled although it is natural that the moderator temperature and the neutron spectrum will change with accelerator-operation. Thus, we simultaneously measured neutron spectra and the temperature of a polyethylene moderator at the Hokkaido University Neutron Source (HUNS) driven by a compact electron accelerator to observe the effect of any temperature change on the reliability of spectroscopic transmission measurement. The ratio of the neutron effective temperature and the moderator temperature was constant in HUNS case, although both increased by 4–5 K within one hour after the start of accelerator-operation. This indicated that the neutron effective temperature was well estimated by the moderator temperature. The effect of the temperature change can be easily avoided by excluding data collection before the moderator warms up. These results suggested that the monitoring of moderator temperature is recommended in compact electron accelerator-driven neutron sources with a thermal neutron moderator to guarantee reliability of spectroscopic transmission measurement without sacrifices of cost, simplicity and maintainability.     

Design of moderator and multiplier systems for D–T neutron source in BNCT

Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) is an outstanding way to treat Glioblastoma Multiforme. Epithermal neutrons with energy from 1 eV to 10 keV represent the most effective range for brain tumor therapy. In this research we have focused on ³H(d, n)⁴He reaction as a neutron source using Cock Craft Walton accelerator. High neutron yield with 14.1 MeV energy can be generated via accelerating a deuteron beam with 110 keV energy.A Monte Carlo simulation code (MCNP4C) was used to design the D–T source. Pb and ²³⁸U are suggested as neutron multipliers; AlF₃ and BeO as a moderator and reflector, respectively. An Al layer is used for decreasing the ratio of fast to total neutron fluxes. Epithermal neutron flux in the suggested system is 10⁸ n/cm² s and is a suitable flux for BNCT applications. Finally the suggested configuration is compared to the most recent works and it is shown that the proposed configuration works better.     

Power spectral analysis for a thermal subcritical reactor system driven by a pulsed 14 MeV neutron source

A series of power spectral analyses for a thermal subcritical reactor system driven by a pulsed 14 MeV neutron source was carried out at Kyoto University Critical Assembly (KUCA), to determine the prompt-neutron decay constant of the accelerator-driven system (ADS). The cross-power spectral density between time-sequence signal data of two neutron detectors was composed of a familiar continuous reactor noise component and many delta-function-like peaks at the integral multiple of pulse repetition frequency. The prompt-neutron decay constant inferred from the reactor noise component of the cross-power spectral density was consistent with that obtained by a pulsed neutron experiment. However, the reactor noise component of the auto-power spectral density of each detector was hidden by a white chamber noise in the higher-frequency range and this feature resulted in a considerable underestimation of the decay constant. For several runs with a low pulse-repetition frequency, furthermore, we attempted to infer the decay constant from point data of the delta-function-like peaks. The analysis for a run under a slightly subcritical state resulted in the consistent decay constant; however, those for other runs under significantly subcritical states underestimated the decay constant. Considering the contribution of a spatially higher mode to the point data, the above underestimation was solved to obtain the consistent decay constant. While the Feynman-α formula for a pulsed neutron source is too complicated to be fitted directly to variance-to-mean ratio data, the present analysis on frequency domain is much simpler and the conventional formula based on the first-order reactor transfer function is available for fitting to power spectral density data.