Book Description

Accelerator-based neutron sources for R D of materials in nuclear energy systems, including fusion reactors, can provide sufficient neutron flux, flux-volume, fluence and other attractive features for many aspects of materials research. The neutron spectrum produced from the D-Li reaction has been judged useful for many basic materials research problems, and to be a satisfactory approximation to that of the fusion process. The technology of high-intensity linear accelerators can readily be applied to provide the deuteron beam for the neutron source. Earlier applications included the Los Alamos Meson Physics Facility and the Fusion Materials Irradiation Test facility prototype. The key features of today's advanced accelerator technology are presented to illustrate the present state-of-the-art in terms of improved understanding of basic physical principles and engineering technique, and to show how these advances can be applied to present demands in a timely manner. These features include how to produce an intense beam current with the high quality required to minimize beam losses along the accelerator and transport system that could cause maintenance difficulties, by controlling the beam emittance through proper choice of the operating frequency, balancing of the forces acting on the beam, and realization in practical hardware. A most interesting aspect for materials researchers is the increased flexibility and opportunities for experimental configurations that a modern accelerator-based source could add to the set of available tools. 8 refs., 5 figs.