74 Ge( n , γ ) cross section below 70 keV measured at n_TOF CERN.

Neutron capture reaction cross sections on 74 Ge are of importance to determine 74 Ge production during the astrophysical slow neutron capture process. We present new resonance data on 74 Ge( n , γ ) reactions below 70 keV neutron energy. We calculate Maxwellian averaged cross sections, combining our data below 70 keV with evaluated cross sections at higher neutron energies. Our stellar cross sections are in agreement with a previous activation measurement performed at Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe by Marganiec et al., once their data has been re-normalised to account for an update in the reference cross section used in that experiment.

Evaluation of the radiation field and shielding assessment of the experimental area of HIE-ISOLDE.

The ISOLDE facility at CERN is one of the first facilities in the world dedicated to the production of the radioactive ion beams (RIB) and during all its working time underwent several upgrades. The goal of the latest proposed upgrade, 'The High Intensity and Energy ISOLDE' (HIE-ISOLDE), is to provide a higher performance facility in order to approximate it to the level of the next generation ISOL facilities, like EURISOL. The HIE-ISOLDE aims to improve significantly the quality of the produced RIB and for this reason the increasing of the primary beam power is one of the main objectives of the project. An increase in the nominal beam current (from 2 to 6 µA proton beam intensity) and energy (from 1.4 GeV to 2 GeV) of the primary proton beam will be possible due to the upgrade of CERN's accelerator infrastructure. The current upgrade means reassessment of the radiation protection and the radiation safety of the facility. However, an evaluation of the existing shielding configuration and access restrictions to the experimental and supply areas must be carried out. Monte Carlo calculations were performed in order to evaluate the radiation protection of the facility as well as radiation shielding assessment and design. The FLUKA-Monte Carlo code was used in this study to calculate the ambient dose rate distribution and particle fluxes in the most important areas, such as the experimental hall of the facility. The results indicate a significant increase in the ambient dose equivalent rate in some areas of the experimental hall when an upgrade configuration of the primary proton beam is considered. Special attention is required for the shielding of the target area once it is the main and very intensive radiation source, especially under the upgrade conditions. In this study, the access points to the beam extraction and beam maintenance areas, such as the mass separator rooms and the high voltage room, are identified as the most sensitive for the experimental hall from the radiation protection point of view.

Radiation protection, radiation safety and radiation shielding assessment of HIE-ISOLDE.

The high intensity and energy ISOLDE (HIE-ISOLDE) project is an upgrade to the existing ISOLDE facility at CERN. The foreseen increase in the nominal intensity and the energy of the primary proton beam of the existing ISOLDE facility aims at increasing the intensity of the produced radioactive ion beams (RIBs). The currently existing ISOLDE facility uses the proton beam from the proton-synchrotron booster with an energy of 1.4 GeV and an intensity up to 2 µA. After upgrade (final stage), the HIE-ISOLDE facility is supposed to run at an energy up to 2 GeV and an intensity up to 4 µA. The foreseen upgrade imposes constrains, from the radiation protection and the radiation safety point of view, to the existing experimental and supply areas. Taking into account the upgraded energy and intensity of the primary proton beam, a new assessment of the radiation protection and radiation safety of the HIE-ISOLDE facility is necessary. Special attention must be devoted to the shielding assessment of the beam dumps and of the experimental areas. In this work the state-of-the-art Monte Carlo particle transport simulation program FLUKA was used to perform the computation of the ambient dose equivalent rate distribution and of the particle fluxes in the projected HIE-ISOLDE facility (taking into account the upgrade nominal primary proton beam energy and intensity) and the shielding assessment of the facility, with the aim of identifying in the existing facility (ISOLDE) the critical areas and locations where new or reinforced shielding may be necessary. The consequences of the upgraded proton beam parameters on the operational radiation protection of the facility were studied.

Neutron capture cross section of unstable 63Ni: implications for stellar nucleosynthesis.

The 63Ni(n,γ) cross section has been measured for the first time at the neutron time-of-flight facility n_TOF at CERN from thermal neutron energies up to 200 keV. In total, capture kernels of 12 (new) resonances were determined. Maxwellian averaged cross sections were calculated for thermal energies from kT=5-100 keV with uncertainties around 20%. Stellar model calculations for a 25M⊙ star show that the new data have a significant effect on the s-process production of 63Cu, 64Ni, and 64Zn in massive stars, allowing stronger constraints on the Cu yields from explosive nucleosynthesis in the subsequent supernova.

Towards the enhancement of the photon/neutron discrimination of C6D6 detectors in the range from 1 to 10 MeV using liquid scintillator materials doped with high-Z elements.

The study on the behaviour of deuterated benzene detectors in the energy range from 1 to 10 MeV has been carried out. It is shown that the photon-to-neutron discrimination, attained with standard detectors, can be improved by doping the C6D6 liquid scintillator with high-Z elements. The motivation for doping the organic scintillator stems from the fact that they should increase the gamma detection efficiencies with no significant changes in the abilities to detect neutrons. The results obtained using the MCNP and EGS4 codes show that increasing the fraction of high-Z elements: (a) the energy deposited in the medium by photons increases, (b) the energy deposited by neutrons decreases and (c) the rate of detection of photon/neutron is enhanced. Owing to their low sensitivity to neutrons and the enhanced gamma detection efficiency, these detectors could be ideally used to carry out studies in mixed neutron-photon fields in the energy range considered and to assess the gamma backgrounds in noisy neutron environments.

Characterisation of a neutron beam available at the RPI using a set of Bonner spheres.

The use of Bonner spheres to characterise radiation fields is abundantly documented in the literature. This study, carried out using the state-of-the-art Monte Carlo code MCNPX and the deconvolution program MAXED, aims to characterise the RPI epithermal neutron beam using of a set of Bonner spheres of different radii surrounding a 3He detector. The energy range of interest in this study covers from thermal to 10 MeV. This purely computational study aims to assess the feasibility of using the method previously mentioned to improve the knowledge of the energy and intensity characteristics of the epithermal beam.

MCNP simulation to optimise in-pile and shielding parts of the Portuguese SANS instrument.

A Small Angle Neutron Scattering instrument is being installed at one end of the tangential beam tube of the Portuguese Research Reactor. The instrument is fed using a neutron scatterer positioned in the middle of the beam tube. The scatterer consists of circulating H2O contained in a hollow disc of Al. The in-pile shielding components and the shielding installed around the neutron selector have been the object of an MCNP simulation study. The quantities calculated were the neutron and gamma-ray fluxes in different positions, the energy deposited in the material by the neutron and gamma-ray fields, the material activation resulting from the neutron field and radiation doses at the exit wall of the shutter and around the shielding. The MCNP results are presented and compared with results of an analytical approach and with experimental data collected after installation.

Epithermal neutron self-shielding factors in foils for collimated beams.

An epithermal neutron self-shielding factor must be introduced to take into account the absorption of a neutron beam crossing a sample. This factor depends on the geometry and dimension of the sample, as well as on the physical and nuclear properties of the nuclides. On the basis of a dimensionless variable, which includes the relevant characteristics of the sample, universal curves for monoenergetic and 1/E collimated neutron beams are proposed, which enable the determination of the self-shielding factor for isolated resonances of high absorber nuclides.

Monte Carlo calculation of epithermal neutron resonance self-shielding factors in foils of different materials.

Epithermal neutron resonance self-shielding factors in foils of materials used as activation detectors or as targets for radionuclide production have been calculated using the MCNP code. Two irradiation conditions have been considered: (a) foils immersed into an isotropic neutron flux and (b) foils submitted to a collimated neutron beam. The self-shielding factors, Gres(t), for gold, indium, manganese and cobalt have been compared with available published values. The self-shielding factor depends on various physical and nuclear parameters. However, it is shown that for the isotropic case and for high absorber elements submitted to a collimated beam, a dimensionless variable could be adopted that describes the self-shielding factors of different materials by quasi "universal curves". Gres(t) for the collimated beam are always higher than those for the isotropic case.

Monte Carlo calculation of epithermal neutron resonance self-shielding factors in wires of different materials.

Epithermal neutron resonance self-shielding factors in wires of materials used as activation detectors or as targets for radionuclide production have been calculated using the MCNP code. The energy dependent self-shielding factor depends on the ratio scattering/capture cross sections. The self-shielding factors for cobalt and gold have been compared with available values. The self-shielding factor depends on various physical and nuclear parameters. However, an adimensional variable can be adopted that describes the self-shielding factors of different materials by a quasi "universal curve".