Putting in operation a full-scale ultracold-neutron source model with superfluid helium

Serebrov, A. P.; Lyamkin, V. A.; Prudnikov, D. V.; Keshishev, K. O.; Boldarev, S. T.; Васильев, А. В.

doi:10.1134/s1063784217020256

Cited by 8 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…For these purposes, the cryogenic body of the WWR-M reactor was equipped with the full-scale model of the UCN source, which was subsequently started. The experiments with the full-scale model of the UCN source have provided real temperatures of the superfluid helium under the heat load up to 60 W [13], while the design value of the heat load of the WWR-M reactor is estimated to be 30 W. The full-scale model was operated so as to get real experience in handling the superfluid helium, and, most importantly, it has experimentally proven the possibility of keeping helium in the superfluid phase under the constant reactor heat influx.…”

Section: Project Of the Ucn Source At The Pik Reactormentioning

confidence: 99%

Superfluid helium based ultracold neutron source for the PIK reactor

et al. 2022

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The PIK reactor at NRC "Kurchatov Institute"-PNPI is going to be equipped with a high-flux Ultra Cold Neutron (UCN) source for fundamental physics researches. The UCN source will use superfluid helium, which will make possible to achieve the density of UCN 2.2·10^3 cm-3, that has not yet been achieved anywhere in the world. The UCN source will be installed on the GEK-4 channel, which will make possible to obtain a low value of heat influx to cryogenic vessels from reactor radiation. The heat removal from the UCN source vessel will be implemented by using a heat exchanger. The calculated UCN density in the EDM spectrometer chamber at the PIK is going to be 200 cm-3, which is 20 times higher than the existing UCN densities in the world. For a new UCN source based on superfluid helium, an extensive research program has been developed in field of the physics of fundamental interactions, including the search for a nonzero neutron EDM, precision measurement of the neutron lifetime, and search for mirror dark matter. Keywords: ultracold neutrons, neutron sources, superfluid helium, neutron EDM, neutron decay.

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Section: Project Of the Ucn Source At The Pik Reactormentioning

confidence: 99%

Superfluid helium based ultracold neutron source for the PIK reactor

et al. 2022

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“…Detailed technical descriptions of the cryostat and the UCN model were already published in Ref. [12]. The model has allowed us to work out the technologies for generating and handling the superfluid and to demonstrate operation of the cryostat with He circulation, first still without added thermal loads.…”

Section: Full-scale Tests Of Ucn Source Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Helium vapour from the tank (11) is returned to the liquefier via a pipe (18). Through a control valve (10), liquid helium is supplied to an intermediate tank (9) equipped with a level meter (8) and held at 1.2 K by pumping through a pipe (12). For thermal anchoring (to reduce heat influxes) the pump-out pipelines (12) and (13) pass through the tank (11), then are united into a common pipeline (14).…”

Section: Full-scale Tests Of Ucn Source Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of a powerful UCN source at PNPI's WWR-M reactor

et al. 2019

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The WWR-M reactor at PNPI is planned to be equipped with a high-flux source for ultracold neutrons (UCNs). The method of UCN production is based on neutron conversion in superfluid helium, exploiting the particular qualities of that quantum liquid. As a result of optimizing the source parameters, we expect a temperature of superfluid helium of 1.2 K and a UCN density of 1.3 × 104 cm−3 in a neutron electric dipole moment (EDM) spectrometer. The expected flux densities of cold neutrons (with wavelengths in the range 2–20 Å) and very cold neutrons (50–100 Å) at the output of a neutron guide with a cross section of 30 × 200 mm2 are 9.7 × 107 cm−2s−1 and 8.3 × 105 cm−2s−1, respectively. The capability of maintaining a temperature of 1.37 K at a thermal load of 60 W was shown experimentally, while the theoretical load is expected to be 37 W. Calculations show that it is possible to decrease the helium temperature down to 1.2 K at similar heat load. The project includes the development of experimental stations at UCN beams, such as for a neutron EDM search, measurements of the neutron lifetime, and for a search for neutron-to-mirror-neutron transitions. In addition, three beams of cold and very cold neutrons are foreseen. At present, the vacuum container of the UCN source has been manufactured and the production of the low-temperature deuterium and helium parts of the source has been started.

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“…UCN production by the source will be about 10 8 n/s. The full-scale source model, including all required cryogenic and vacuum equipment, the cryostat, and the ultracold neutron source model has been created and successfully tested [8]. Experimental program is developed.…”

Section: Ucn Source At the Wwr-m Reactormentioning

confidence: 99%

Project of NNbar Experiment at the WWR-M Reactor

Fomin¹,

Serebrov²,

Zherebtsov³

et al. 2018

KEn

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Supersource of ultracold neutrons on the basis of superfluid helium is under construction in PNPI NRC KI. It must provide UCN density 2-3 orders of magnitude higher than existing sources. For the new source we propose an experiment on search for neutron-antineutron oscillations based on the storage of ultracold neutrons in a material trap. The sensitivity of the experiment mostly depends on the trap size and the amount of UCN in it. The results of simulations of the designed experimental scheme show that the sensitivity can be increased by ∼ 10-40 times compared to sensitivity of previous experiment depending on the model of neutron reflection from walls.

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Putting in operation a full-scale ultracold-neutron source model with superfluid helium

Cited by 8 publications

References 3 publications

Superfluid helium based ultracold neutron source for the PIK reactor

Superfluid helium based ultracold neutron source for the PIK reactor

Development of a powerful UCN source at PNPI's WWR-M reactor

Project of NNbar Experiment at the WWR-M Reactor

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