This paper proposes a sub-critical nuclear energy system driven by fusion neutron source, FDS, which can be used to transmute long-lived radioactive wastes and to produce fissile nuclear fuel as a way for early applic...This paper proposes a sub-critical nuclear energy system driven by fusion neutron source, FDS, which can be used to transmute long-lived radioactive wastes and to produce fissile nuclear fuel as a way for early application of fusion technology. The necessity and feasibility to develop that system in China are illustrated on the basis of prediction of the demand of energy source in the first half of the 21th century, the status of current fission energy supply and the progress in fusion technology in the world. The characteristics of fusion neutron driver and the potential for transmutation of long-lived nuclear wastes and breeding of fissile nuclear fuel in a blanket are analyzed. A scenario of development steps is proposed.展开更多
A high-efficiency fast neutron detector prototype based on a triple Gas Electron Multiplier（GEM） detector, which, coupled with a novel multi-layered high-density polyethylene（HDPE） as a neutron-to-proton converter...A high-efficiency fast neutron detector prototype based on a triple Gas Electron Multiplier（GEM） detector, which, coupled with a novel multi-layered high-density polyethylene（HDPE） as a neutron-to-proton converter for improving the neutron detection efficiency, is introduced and tested with the Am-Be neutron source in the Institute of Modern Physics（IMP） at Lanzhou in the present work. First, the developed triple GEM detector is tested by measuring its effective gain and energy resolution with55 Fe X-ray source to ensure that it has a good performance.The effective gain and obtained energy resolution is 5.0×104and around 19.2%, respectively. Secondly, the novel multi-layered HDPE converter is coupled with the cathode of the triple GEM detector making it a high-efficiency fast neutron detector. Its effective neutron response is four times higher than that of the traditional single-layered conversion technique when the converter layer number is 38.展开更多
Neutron-sensitive microchannel plates(nMCPs)have applications in neutron detection,including energy spectrum measurements,neutron-induced cross sections,and neutron imaging.10B-doped MCPs(B-MCPs)have attracted signifi...Neutron-sensitive microchannel plates(nMCPs)have applications in neutron detection,including energy spectrum measurements,neutron-induced cross sections,and neutron imaging.10B-doped MCPs(B-MCPs)have attracted significant attention owing to their potential for exhibiting a high neutron detection efficiency over a large neutron energy range.Good spatial and temporal resolutions are useful for neutron energy-resolved imaging.However,their practical applications still face many technical challenges.In this study,a B-MCP with 10 mol%10B was tested for its response to wide-energy neutrons from eV to MeV at the Back-n white neutron source at the China Spallation Neutron Source.The neutron detection efficiency was calibrated at 1 eV,which is approximately 300 times that of an ordinary MCP and indicates the success of 10 B doping.The factors that caused the reduction in the detection efficiency were simulated and discussed.The neutron energy spectrum obtained using B-MCP was compared with that obtained by other measurement methods,and showed very good consistency for neutron energies below tens of keV.The response is more complicated at higher neutron energy,at which point the elastic and nonelastic reactions of all nuclides of B-MCP gradually become dominant.This is beneficial for the detection of neutrons,as it compensates for the detection efficiency of B-MCP for high-energy neutrons.展开更多
Boron neutron capture therapy(BNCT)is recognized as a precise binary targeted radiotherapy technique that effectively eliminates tumors through the^(10)B(n,α)^(7)Li nuclear reaction.Among various neutron sources,acce...Boron neutron capture therapy(BNCT)is recognized as a precise binary targeted radiotherapy technique that effectively eliminates tumors through the^(10)B(n,α)^(7)Li nuclear reaction.Among various neutron sources,accelerator-based sources have emerged as particularly promising for BNCT applications.The^(7)Li(p,n)^(7)Be reaction is highly regarded as a potential neutron source for BNCT,owing to its low threshold energy for the reaction,significant neutron yield,appropriate average neutron energy,and additional benefits.This study utilized Monte Carlo simulations to model the physical interactions within a lithium target subjected to proton bombardment,including neutron moderation by an MgF_(2)moderator and subsequent BNCT dose analysis using a Snyder head phantom.The study focused on calculating the yields of epithermal neutrons for various incident proton energies,finding an optimal energy at 2.7 MeV.Furthermore,the Snyder head phantom was employed in dose simulations to validate the effectiveness of this specific incident energy when utilizing a^(7)Li(p,n)^(7)Be neutron source for BNCT purposes.展开更多
A new scintillating fiber detector inside magnetic shielding tube was designed and assembled for use in the next round of fusion experiments in the experimental advanced superconducting tokamak to provide D–T neutron...A new scintillating fiber detector inside magnetic shielding tube was designed and assembled for use in the next round of fusion experiments in the experimental advanced superconducting tokamak to provide D–T neutron yield with time resolution.In this study,Geant4 simulations were used to obtain the pulse height spectra for ideal signals produced when detecting neutrons and gamma rays of multiple energies.One of the main sources of interference was found to be low-energy neutrons below 10–5 MeV,which can generate numerous secondary particles in the detector components,such as the magnetic shielding tube,leading to high-amplitude output signals.To address this issue,a compact thermal neutron shield containing a 1-mm Cd layer outside the magnetic shielding tube and a 5-mm inner Pb layer was specifically designed.Adverse effects on the measurement of fast neutrons and the shielding effect on gamma rays were considered.This can suppress the height of the signals caused by thermal neutrons to a level below the height corresponding to neutrons above 4 MeV because the yield of the latter is used for detector calibration.In addition,the detector has relatively flat sensitivity curves in the fast neutron region,with the intrinsic detection efficiencies(IDEs)of approximately 40%.For gamma rays with energies that are not too high(<8 MeV),the IDEs of the detector are only approximately 20%,whereas for gamma rays below 1 MeV,the response curve cuts off earlier in the low-energy region,which is beneficial for avoiding counting saturation and signal accumulation.展开更多
Precise knowledge of the nuclear symmetry energy can be tentatively calibrated using multimessenger constraints.The neutron skin thickness of a heavy nucleus is one of the most sensitive indicators for probing the iso...Precise knowledge of the nuclear symmetry energy can be tentatively calibrated using multimessenger constraints.The neutron skin thickness of a heavy nucleus is one of the most sensitive indicators for probing the isovector components of effective interactions in asymmetric nuclear matter.Recent studies have suggested that the experimental data from the CREX and PREX2 collaborations are not mutually compatible with existing nuclear models.In this study,we review the quantification of the slope parameter of the symmetry energy L from the neutron skin thicknesses of^(48)Ca and^(208)Pb.Skyrme energy density functionals classified by various isoscalar incompressibility coefficients K were employed to evaluate the bulk properties of finite nuclei.The calculated results suggest that the slope parameter L deduced from^(208)Pb is sensitive to the compression modulus of symmetric nuclear matter,but not that from^(48)Ca.The effective parameter sets classified by K=220 MeV can provide an almost overlapping range of L from^(48)Ca and^(208)Pb.展开更多
The bulk parameters characterizing the energy of symmetric nuclear matter and the symmetry energy defined at normal nuclear density ρ0 provide important information on the equation of state (EOS) of isospin asymmetri...The bulk parameters characterizing the energy of symmetric nuclear matter and the symmetry energy defined at normal nuclear density ρ0 provide important information on the equation of state (EOS) of isospin asymmetric nuclear matter. While significant progress has been made in determining some lower order bulk characteristic parameters, such as the energy E0(ρ0) and incompress ibility K0 of symmetric nuclear matter as well as the symmetry energy Esym(ρ0) and its slope parameter L, yet the higher order bulk characteristic parameters are still poorly known. Here, we analyze the correlations between the lower and higher order bulk char acteristic parameters within the framework of Skyrme Hartree-Fock energy density functional and then estimate the values of some higher order bulk characteristic parameters. In particular, we obtain J0 = (-355±95) MeV and I0 = (1473±680) MeV for the third order and fourth-order derivative parameters of symmetric nuclear matter at ρ0 and Ksym = (-100 ± 165) MeV, Jsym = (224 ± 385) MeV, Isym = (-1309 ± 2025) MeV for the curvature parameter, third-order and fourth-order derivative parameters of the symmetry energy at ρ0, using the empirical constraints on E0(ρ0), K0, Esym(ρ0), L, and the isoscalar and isovector nucleon effective masses. Furthermore, our results indicate that the three parameters E0(ρ0), K0, and J0 can reasonably characterize the EOS of symmetric nuclear matter up to 2ρ0 while the symmetry energy up to 2ρ0 can be well described by Esym(ρ0), L, and Ksym.展开更多
In this paper, the distribution of radiation field in the CSNS spectrometer hall at Dongguan, China, was simulated by the FLUKA program. The results show that the radiation field of the high energy proton accelerator ...In this paper, the distribution of radiation field in the CSNS spectrometer hall at Dongguan, China, was simulated by the FLUKA program. The results show that the radiation field of the high energy proton accelerator is dominated by neutron radiation, with a broad range of neutron energies, spanning about eleven orders of magnitude.Simulation and calculation of the response functions of four Bonner spheres with a simplified model is done with FLUKA and MCNPX codes respectively, proving the feasibility of the FLUKA program for this application and the correctness of the calculation method. Using the actual model, we simulate and calculate the energy response functions of Bonner sphere detectors with polyethylene layers of different diameters, including detectors with lead layers, using the FLUKA code. Based on the simulation results, we select eleven detectors as the basic structure for an Extended Range Neutron Multisphere Spectrometer（ERNMS）.展开更多
Based on the relativistic mean field(RMF)model with Thomas-Fermi approximation,we investigate the elastic properties of neutron star matter.The elastic constants are estimated by introducing deformations on the nuclea...Based on the relativistic mean field(RMF)model with Thomas-Fermi approximation,we investigate the elastic properties of neutron star matter.The elastic constants are estimated by introducing deformations on the nuclear pasta structures inβ-equilibrium,where various crystalline configurations are considered in a fully three-dimensional geometry without the Wigner-Seitz approximation.Two scenarios with different symmetry energy slope(L=41.34 and 89.39 MeV)are examined,where the the elastic constants can vary by ten times.By fitting to the numerical results,we improve the analytic formulae for the elastic properties of nuclear pasta by introducing damping factors.展开更多
The neutron radiation field has vital applications in areas such as biomedicine,geology,radiation safety,and many others for neutron detection and neutron metrology.Correcting neutron fluence rate perturbation accurat...The neutron radiation field has vital applications in areas such as biomedicine,geology,radiation safety,and many others for neutron detection and neutron metrology.Correcting neutron fluence rate perturbation accurately is an important yet challenging problem.This study proposes a correction method that analyzes three physical processes.This method,which transforms the detection process from point detection to area detection,is based on a novel physical model and has been validated through theoretical analyses,experiments,and simulations.According to the average differences between the calculated and experimental results,the new method(1.67%)demonstrated better accuracy than the traditional simulation(2.17%).In a closed thermal neutron radiation field,the detector or strong neutron absorption material significantly perturbs the neutron fluence rate,whereas its impact on the energy spectrum shape and neutron directionality is relatively minor.Furthermore,based on the calculation results of the perturbation rate formula for medium materials with different compositions and sizes,the larger the volume and capture cross section of the medium,the higher the perturbation rate generated in the closed radiation field.展开更多
文摘This paper proposes a sub-critical nuclear energy system driven by fusion neutron source, FDS, which can be used to transmute long-lived radioactive wastes and to produce fissile nuclear fuel as a way for early application of fusion technology. The necessity and feasibility to develop that system in China are illustrated on the basis of prediction of the demand of energy source in the first half of the 21th century, the status of current fission energy supply and the progress in fusion technology in the world. The characteristics of fusion neutron driver and the potential for transmutation of long-lived nuclear wastes and breeding of fissile nuclear fuel in a blanket are analyzed. A scenario of development steps is proposed.
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(11135002,11305232,11175076)
文摘A high-efficiency fast neutron detector prototype based on a triple Gas Electron Multiplier（GEM） detector, which, coupled with a novel multi-layered high-density polyethylene（HDPE） as a neutron-to-proton converter for improving the neutron detection efficiency, is introduced and tested with the Am-Be neutron source in the Institute of Modern Physics（IMP） at Lanzhou in the present work. First, the developed triple GEM detector is tested by measuring its effective gain and energy resolution with55 Fe X-ray source to ensure that it has a good performance.The effective gain and obtained energy resolution is 5.0×104and around 19.2%, respectively. Secondly, the novel multi-layered HDPE converter is coupled with the cathode of the triple GEM detector making it a high-efficiency fast neutron detector. Its effective neutron response is four times higher than that of the traditional single-layered conversion technique when the converter layer number is 38.
基金supported by the Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation(No.2023A1515030074)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.12035017)。
文摘Neutron-sensitive microchannel plates(nMCPs)have applications in neutron detection,including energy spectrum measurements,neutron-induced cross sections,and neutron imaging.10B-doped MCPs(B-MCPs)have attracted significant attention owing to their potential for exhibiting a high neutron detection efficiency over a large neutron energy range.Good spatial and temporal resolutions are useful for neutron energy-resolved imaging.However,their practical applications still face many technical challenges.In this study,a B-MCP with 10 mol%10B was tested for its response to wide-energy neutrons from eV to MeV at the Back-n white neutron source at the China Spallation Neutron Source.The neutron detection efficiency was calibrated at 1 eV,which is approximately 300 times that of an ordinary MCP and indicates the success of 10 B doping.The factors that caused the reduction in the detection efficiency were simulated and discussed.The neutron energy spectrum obtained using B-MCP was compared with that obtained by other measurement methods,and showed very good consistency for neutron energies below tens of keV.The response is more complicated at higher neutron energy,at which point the elastic and nonelastic reactions of all nuclides of B-MCP gradually become dominant.This is beneficial for the detection of neutrons,as it compensates for the detection efficiency of B-MCP for high-energy neutrons.
文摘Boron neutron capture therapy(BNCT)is recognized as a precise binary targeted radiotherapy technique that effectively eliminates tumors through the^(10)B(n,α)^(7)Li nuclear reaction.Among various neutron sources,accelerator-based sources have emerged as particularly promising for BNCT applications.The^(7)Li(p,n)^(7)Be reaction is highly regarded as a potential neutron source for BNCT,owing to its low threshold energy for the reaction,significant neutron yield,appropriate average neutron energy,and additional benefits.This study utilized Monte Carlo simulations to model the physical interactions within a lithium target subjected to proton bombardment,including neutron moderation by an MgF_(2)moderator and subsequent BNCT dose analysis using a Snyder head phantom.The study focused on calculating the yields of epithermal neutrons for various incident proton energies,finding an optimal energy at 2.7 MeV.Furthermore,the Snyder head phantom was employed in dose simulations to validate the effectiveness of this specific incident energy when utilizing a^(7)Li(p,n)^(7)Be neutron source for BNCT purposes.
基金supported by the University Synergy Innovation Program of Anhui Province(No.GXXT-2022-001)the Institute of Energy,Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center(Anhui Energy Laboratory)under Grant No.21KZS205 and 21KZL401the Comprehensive Research Facility for Fusion Technology Program of China(No.2018-000052-73-01-001228).
文摘A new scintillating fiber detector inside magnetic shielding tube was designed and assembled for use in the next round of fusion experiments in the experimental advanced superconducting tokamak to provide D–T neutron yield with time resolution.In this study,Geant4 simulations were used to obtain the pulse height spectra for ideal signals produced when detecting neutrons and gamma rays of multiple energies.One of the main sources of interference was found to be low-energy neutrons below 10–5 MeV,which can generate numerous secondary particles in the detector components,such as the magnetic shielding tube,leading to high-amplitude output signals.To address this issue,a compact thermal neutron shield containing a 1-mm Cd layer outside the magnetic shielding tube and a 5-mm inner Pb layer was specifically designed.Adverse effects on the measurement of fast neutrons and the shielding effect on gamma rays were considered.This can suppress the height of the signals caused by thermal neutrons to a level below the height corresponding to neutrons above 4 MeV because the yield of the latter is used for detector calibration.In addition,the detector has relatively flat sensitivity curves in the fast neutron region,with the intrinsic detection efficiencies(IDEs)of approximately 40%.For gamma rays with energies that are not too high(<8 MeV),the IDEs of the detector are only approximately 20%,whereas for gamma rays below 1 MeV,the response curve cuts off earlier in the low-energy region,which is beneficial for avoiding counting saturation and signal accumulation.
基金supported partly by the National Key R&D Program of China(No.2023YFA1606401)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.12135004,11635003,11961141004,12047513)+1 种基金the support of the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.12275025 and 11975096)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(No.2020NTST06)。
文摘Precise knowledge of the nuclear symmetry energy can be tentatively calibrated using multimessenger constraints.The neutron skin thickness of a heavy nucleus is one of the most sensitive indicators for probing the isovector components of effective interactions in asymmetric nuclear matter.Recent studies have suggested that the experimental data from the CREX and PREX2 collaborations are not mutually compatible with existing nuclear models.In this study,we review the quantification of the slope parameter of the symmetry energy L from the neutron skin thicknesses of^(48)Ca and^(208)Pb.Skyrme energy density functionals classified by various isoscalar incompressibility coefficients K were employed to evaluate the bulk properties of finite nuclei.The calculated results suggest that the slope parameter L deduced from^(208)Pb is sensitive to the compression modulus of symmetric nuclear matter,but not that from^(48)Ca.The effective parameter sets classified by K=220 MeV can provide an almost overlapping range of L from^(48)Ca and^(208)Pb.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 10975097)Shanghai Rising-Star Program (Grant No.11QH1401100)the National Basic Research Program of China (GrantNo. 2007CB815004)
文摘The bulk parameters characterizing the energy of symmetric nuclear matter and the symmetry energy defined at normal nuclear density ρ0 provide important information on the equation of state (EOS) of isospin asymmetric nuclear matter. While significant progress has been made in determining some lower order bulk characteristic parameters, such as the energy E0(ρ0) and incompress ibility K0 of symmetric nuclear matter as well as the symmetry energy Esym(ρ0) and its slope parameter L, yet the higher order bulk characteristic parameters are still poorly known. Here, we analyze the correlations between the lower and higher order bulk char acteristic parameters within the framework of Skyrme Hartree-Fock energy density functional and then estimate the values of some higher order bulk characteristic parameters. In particular, we obtain J0 = (-355±95) MeV and I0 = (1473±680) MeV for the third order and fourth-order derivative parameters of symmetric nuclear matter at ρ0 and Ksym = (-100 ± 165) MeV, Jsym = (224 ± 385) MeV, Isym = (-1309 ± 2025) MeV for the curvature parameter, third-order and fourth-order derivative parameters of the symmetry energy at ρ0, using the empirical constraints on E0(ρ0), K0, Esym(ρ0), L, and the isoscalar and isovector nucleon effective masses. Furthermore, our results indicate that the three parameters E0(ρ0), K0, and J0 can reasonably characterize the EOS of symmetric nuclear matter up to 2ρ0 while the symmetry energy up to 2ρ0 can be well described by Esym(ρ0), L, and Ksym.
文摘In this paper, the distribution of radiation field in the CSNS spectrometer hall at Dongguan, China, was simulated by the FLUKA program. The results show that the radiation field of the high energy proton accelerator is dominated by neutron radiation, with a broad range of neutron energies, spanning about eleven orders of magnitude.Simulation and calculation of the response functions of four Bonner spheres with a simplified model is done with FLUKA and MCNPX codes respectively, proving the feasibility of the FLUKA program for this application and the correctness of the calculation method. Using the actual model, we simulate and calculate the energy response functions of Bonner sphere detectors with polyethylene layers of different diameters, including detectors with lead layers, using the FLUKA code. Based on the simulation results, we select eleven detectors as the basic structure for an Extended Range Neutron Multisphere Spectrometer（ERNMS）.
文摘Based on the relativistic mean field(RMF)model with Thomas-Fermi approximation,we investigate the elastic properties of neutron star matter.The elastic constants are estimated by introducing deformations on the nuclear pasta structures inβ-equilibrium,where various crystalline configurations are considered in a fully three-dimensional geometry without the Wigner-Seitz approximation.Two scenarios with different symmetry energy slope(L=41.34 and 89.39 MeV)are examined,where the the elastic constants can vary by ten times.By fitting to the numerical results,we improve the analytic formulae for the elastic properties of nuclear pasta by introducing damping factors.
基金supported by the Fundamental Research Funds of the National Institute of MetrologyChina(No.AKYZZ2113)+1 种基金National Key Research and Development Program of China(No.2017YFF0206205)the Team Building Program of Nanjing University(No.1480604114)。
文摘The neutron radiation field has vital applications in areas such as biomedicine,geology,radiation safety,and many others for neutron detection and neutron metrology.Correcting neutron fluence rate perturbation accurately is an important yet challenging problem.This study proposes a correction method that analyzes three physical processes.This method,which transforms the detection process from point detection to area detection,is based on a novel physical model and has been validated through theoretical analyses,experiments,and simulations.According to the average differences between the calculated and experimental results,the new method(1.67%)demonstrated better accuracy than the traditional simulation(2.17%).In a closed thermal neutron radiation field,the detector or strong neutron absorption material significantly perturbs the neutron fluence rate,whereas its impact on the energy spectrum shape and neutron directionality is relatively minor.Furthermore,based on the calculation results of the perturbation rate formula for medium materials with different compositions and sizes,the larger the volume and capture cross section of the medium,the higher the perturbation rate generated in the closed radiation field.
