Comprehensive Measurement of Neutron Yield Produced by 62 MeV Protons on Beryllium Target

TL;DR

This paper reports a comprehensive measurement of neutron yield from a 62 MeV proton beam on Beryllium, using advanced detection techniques to cover a wide energy and angular range, supporting neutron source design for reactors.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed neutron yield data for 62 MeV protons on Beryllium across a broad energy and angular spectrum, aiding neutron source development.

Findings

Neutron yields were successfully measured from 0.5 to 62 MeV.

Wide angular coverage from 0 to 150 degrees was achieved.

The data supports design of neutron sources for sub-critical reactors.

Abstract

A low-power prototype of neutron amplifier, based on a 70 MeV, high current proton cyclotron being installed at LNL for the SPES RIB facility, was recently proposed within INFN-E project. This prototype uses a thick Beryllium converter to produce a fast neutron spectrum feeding a sub-critical reactor core. To complete the design of such facility the new measurement of neutron yield from a thick Beryllium target was performed at LNS. This measurement used liquid scintillator detectors to identify produced neutrons by Pulse Shape Discrimination and Time of Flight technique to measure neutron energy in the range 0.5-62 MeV. To extend the covered neutron energy range He3 detector was used to measure neutrons below 0.5 MeV. The obtained yields were normalized to the charge deposited by the proton beam on the metallic Beryllium target. These techniques allowed to achieve a wide angular coverage from 0 to 150 degrees and to explore almost complete neutron energy interval.