Contact

Dr. Roland Beyer

Beam line scientist, radiation protection officer FWK
Nuclear Physics
roland.beyer@hzdr.de
Phone: +49 351 260 3281

The neutron beam shutters/absorber

(old version up to May 2014)

Two different shutters/absorbers are installed in the nELBE setup, one at each end of the neutron collimator, i.e. one in room 111b, where the liquid Pb loop is placed, and one in the experimental cave room 125.

The shutter in room 125 consists of a tungsten cylinder (length = 15 cm, diameter = 14 cm, m = ca. 41 kg) and is used to close the collimator.

The absorber ladder in room 111b is used for two purposes: At first it can debar all neutrons and gammas from entering the collimator, and second it gives the possibility to mount different absorbers to manipulate the neutron and gamma spectrum or to perform transmission experiments.

The layout of the absorber ladder is shown in Fig. 1. A tungsten cylinder (length = 26 cm, diameter = 18 cm, m = ca. 117 kg) is used as beam shutter. 4 absober holders can be used for mounting several absorbers. The whole apparatus can be moved by remote control to position the absorber of choice in front of the collimator.

The movement can be done "by hand"  using the lead loop control program or automatically using the transmission DAQ system.

Fig. 1 Technical drawing of the absorber ladder

The following absorbers are available:

material length diameter mass
Al 40.0 mm 60.0 mm  
Au 16.0 mm 26.0 mm 163.76 g
C 30.0 mm 25.0 mm 24.6746 g
Fe 20.0 mm 25.0 mm 77.2740 
Pb (technical) 30.0 mm 25.1 mm  
Pb (#4) (technical) 30.0 mm 25.0 mm 161.71 g
Pb (#5) (technical) 30.0 mm 25.0 mm 161.74 g
Pb (#6) (technical) 30.0 mm 25.0 mm 161.71 g
Pb (#7) (pure) 30.0 mm 25.0 mm 167.0309 g
Pb (#8) (pure) 30.0 mm 25.0 mm 166.9559 g
Pb (#9) (pure) 30.0 mm 25.0 mm 167.0020 g
Pb (#10) (pure) 30.0 mm 25.0 mm 167.2083 g
Pb (technical) 59.0 mm 25.0 mm 318.3 g
Pb (technical) 98.0 mm 25.0 mm 529.2 g
Pb (technical) 120.0 mm 25.0 mm 639 g
Pb (technical) 149.9 mm 25.0 mm 798.04 g
Pb (technical) 180.0 mm 25.0 mm 958.78 g
PE 10.0 mm 60.0 mm 26.7615 g
PE 50.0 mm 60.0 mm 134.6058 g
PE 300.0 mm 60.0 mm  
Pt (99.95 %) 14.07(2) mm 25.04(1) mm 148.13(1) g
Ta 15.0 mm 25.1 mm 124.0 g
Ta 25.5 mm 25.1 mm 210.0 g
Ta 35.2 mm 25.1 mm 290.1 g
U-238 (99.9 %) 5.81 mm 50.93 mm 218.6 g
U-238 (99.9 %) 5.85 mm 50.84 mm 219.5 g
W (#2) 15.92(3) mm 25.3 mm 153.2001 g

The change from one absorber position to another takes the following numbers of seconds:

change to
1 2 3 4 5

from

1 - 26 41 57 72
2 22 - 18 33 50
3 36 62  - 18 35
4 50 74 44 - 18
5 66 88 55 43  -