Np-237 incineration study in various beams in ADS setup QUINTA

Abstract

Neptunium-237 samples were irradiated in a spallation neutron field produced in accelerator-driven system (ADS) setup QUINTA. Five experiments were carried out on the accelerators at the JINR in Dubna - one in carbon (C6+), three in deuteron, and one in a proton beam. The energy in carbon was 24 GeV, in deuteron 2, 4 and 8 GeV, respectively, and 660 MeV in the proton beam. The incineration study method was based on gamma-ray spectrometry. During the analysis of the spectra several fission products and one actinide were identified. Fission product activities yielded the number of fissions. The actinide (Np-238), a result of neutron capture by Np-237, yielded the number of captures. The main goal of this work was to find out if and how the incineration rate depended on parameters of the accelerator beam.

Np-237 transmutation efficiency dependence on beam particle, energy and sample position in QUINTA setup

“…Some results presented in this work -the ones from deuteron beams -have already been published in [2]. Some other results, the ones from a 660 MeV proton and a C6+ beams have already been published in [3]. The results presented here are extended by another experiment with a 660 MeV proton beam where the QUINTA setup was configured without a lead shield.…”

“…There are some lines -like 658, 667, 772.6 and 954 keV -which behave in a more complicated way described in [3]. Tab.…”

Am-241 incineration measurements with activation method in the QUINTA neutron field

“…In the simplest case the isotopes are produced directly from fission (like Sr-92, I-133 and I-135) or capture, and the beam intensity is constant. There are some lines -like 658, 667, 772.6 and 954 keV -which behave in a more complicated way described in [3].…”