Neutrons at ELBE

Fast neutron facilities are generally of two types: white neutron sources and quasi-monoenergetic neutron sources. While the latter deliver neutron beams at a single energy, the white sources produce neutrons in a continuous range of energies when a beam of charged particles hits a heavy target like tungsten or lead. In this case, the energy of a neutron can be determined by measuring its velocity by flight time.

At the ELBE - Center for High-Power Radiation Sources of HZDR the very compact neutron time-of-flight system nELBE has been built. The electron beam emitted by the superconducting electron linear accelerator ELBE is used to produce a white neutron spectrum in a liquid-lead neutron radiator. The neutron kinetic energy ranges from below 100 keV to above 10 MeV with a variable repetition rate from single pulse operation to 400 kHz (c.w.). The flight path range is about 5 – 11 m.

In the fast neutron energy range, there is a need for neutron-induced reaction data relevant for basic science and technical applications. The long-term needs for nuclear data are updated every ten years by international experts at the International Atomic Energy Agency [1].

Characteristic parameters:

repetition rate:	102, 203, 406 kHz
flight path:	5 - 11 m
source strength:	ca. 1.6·1011 n/s
flux at target:	ca. 2.5·104 n/cm2/s
energy range:	10 keV - 15 MeV
energy resolution:	< 1%

In addition, the TU Dresden DT neutron generator (contact: Prof. Dr. Kai Zuber, TU Dresden) that produces monoenergetic neutrons at 14 MeV is located in the ELBE accelerator hall. This facility is used for fusion neutronics studies and neutron activation experiments related to fundamental physics, e.g. the search for the neutrinoless double-beta decay.

[1] Long Term Needs for Nuclear Data Development (INDC(NDS)-0601, ed. A. Plompen 2011, Vienna: International Atomic Energy Agency Nuclear Data section)

Read more

• Neutron time-of-flight experiments at nELBE
• The Neutron spectral rate
• Experimental setups
• Online documentation for neutron time-of-flight experiments

Transnational Access

Transnational access to the nELBE facility is possible through the FP7-Project CHANDA

Research Grants

• CHANDA ”Solving Challenges in Nuclear Data for the Safety of European Nuclear Facilities ”
  01.12.2013 - 30.12.2017, EURATOM FP7-605203 

former:

• BMBF (German federal ministry for education and research) Verbundprojekt
  ”Transmutationsrelevante Kernphysikalische Untersuchungen...”,
  02NUK013A 01.10.2009 - 31.12.2014
• ERINDA (project coordinator)
  EURATOM Fission-2010-ERINDA (project no.269499)

Recent publications

All nELBE publications