Simulating Araponga -- The High-Resolution Diffractometer of Brazilian Multipurpose Reactor

TL;DR

This paper evaluates the performance of the Araponga high-resolution neutron diffractometer at the Brazilian Multipurpose Reactor using simulations, demonstrating its potential to achieve flux levels comparable to high-intensity devices.

Contribution

It presents the first simulation-based performance analysis of the Araponga diffractometer, integrating McStas and MCNP codes for the Brazilian reactor context.

Findings

Neutron flux values are promising and comparable to high-intensity diffractometers.

Simulation results support the feasibility of high-resolution neutron diffraction at RMB.

The study provides a foundation for future experimental implementation.

Abstract

The Brazilian Multipurpose Reactor (RMB) is a fundamental project that aims to turn Brazil into a self-sufficient country in the production of radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals to supply the Unified Health System (SUS) as much as the private institutions. In addition, the RMB project describes other applications as irradiation and testing of nuclear fuels and structural material analysis, for instance. There are many techniques in the project to study structural aspects of materials, where neutron diffraction represents one of the priorities for implementation. This technique will take place mainly on two diffractometers on Thermal Neutron Guide 1 (TG1), namely Araponga, a high-resolution diffractometer, and Flautim, a high-intensity diffractometer. In this work, we study the performance of the Araponga diffractometer through McStas simulations with input produced by the MCNP code of the RMB core. We investigate the neutron flux values considering a state-of-art high-resolution diffractometer, and the results are promising since some simulated scenarios present values compatible with high-intensity devices.