Potential for improvement of a neutron producing target for time-of-flight measurements

The Geel electron linear accelerator (GELINA) white neutron source is designed for time-of-flight (TOF) measurements with a high neutron energy resolution. A project has been launched in order to improve the accuracy of the high-resolution neutron cross-section measurements. The experimental accuracy is highly dependent on the neutron intensity and the time spread of the neutrons leaving the target. The main project objective is not only to design a new neutron producing target that reduces the time spread of the neutrons of a given energy, but also to maintain or possibly enhance the neutron production. The present GELINA target has been simulated recently with coupled electron-photon-neutron MCNP4C3 calculations and, subsequently, compared with experimental results. Based on the very good benchmarking results, this code is now used to design and optimise the new target and to assess all relevant parameters influencing the neutron flux and resolution functions. In this paper, the reader will find an explanation of the methodology on which the research of a new target is based. We compared the neutron fluxes of the compact geometries of various materials for different angles with the fluxes of the existing target. Further, we also made a comparison of the resolution functions for the present design versus a compact design. Finally, a dedicated figure of merit was used to make a qualitative comparison of various designs. The results presented in this paper reveal that there is a possibility to design a new target with superior characteristics so that all project objectives will be fulfilled. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.