Back-n White Neutron Source at CSNS and its Applications

TL;DR

The paper describes the development and capabilities of the Back-n white neutron source at CSNS, highlighting its high intensity, broad energy spectrum, and applications in nuclear data measurements since its completion in 2018.

Contribution

It introduces the Back-n neutron source, detailing its design, performance, and potential applications, marking it as one of the world's leading white neutron sources.

Findings

High neutron flux of approximately 2*10^7 n/cm^2/s at 55 m

Broad energy spectrum from 0.5 eV to 200 MeV

Effective for neutron-induced cross-section measurements

Abstract

Back-streaming neutrons from the spallation target of the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) that emit through the incoming proton channel were exploited to build a white neutron beam facility (the so-called Back-n white neutron source), which was completed in March 2018. The Back-n neutron beam is very intense, at approximately 2*10^7 n/cm^2/s at 55 m from the target, and has a nominal proton beam with a power of 100 kW in the CSNS-I phase and a kinetic energy of 1.6 GeV and a thick tungsten target in multiple slices with modest moderation from the cooling water through the slices. In addition, the excellent energy spectrum spanning from 0.5 eV to 200 MeV, and a good time resolution related to the time-of-flight measurements make it a typical white neutron source for nuclear data measurements; its overall performance is among that of the best white neutron sources in the world. Equipped with advanced spectrometers, detectors, and application utilities, the Back-n facility can serve wide applications, with a focus on neutron-induced cross-section measurements. This article presents an overview of the neutron beam characteristics, the experimental setups, and the ongoing applications at Back-n.