Recent operation of the ORELA electron linac at ORNL for neutron cross-section research

T. S. Bigelow, C. Ausmus, D. R. Brashear, K. H. Guber, J. A. Harvey, P. E. Koehler, R. B. Overton, J. A. White, V. M. Cauley

Research output: Contribution to conferencePaperpeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

The ORNL electron LINAC, ORELA, began operation in 1969 and has been instrumental in providing improved neutron cross section data for many isotopes over the 0.002-60 MeV energy range. The ORELA utilizes a 2-30 ns <1000 Hz pulsed gridded electron gun, a 4 section RF LINAC, and a water-cooled and moderated tantalum target to generate short neutron pulses. The short pulse lengths and long flight paths provide high neutron energy resolution. Beam energy can range up to 180 MeV and a neutron production rate of up to 1014 n/sec can be generated with 50 kW of beam power. Recent operation is at 8 ns, 525 Hz pulse rate and a target power of 5-10 kW. RF power for the accelerator sections are provided by four 24 MW 1300 MHz klystrons. Recent activities have included improvements to the accelerator vacuum, klystrons, interlocks and other upgrades. The current ORELA program is focused on cross-section measurements for the Nuclear Criticality Safety Program and for nuclear astrophysics. Detection and data analysis capabilities have been developed for making highly accurate measurements of neutron capture, neutron total, (n,), and (n,fission) cross-sections simultaneously on different beam lines.

Original languageEnglish
Pages79-81
Number of pages3
StatePublished - 2006
Event23rd International Linear Accelerator Conference, LINAC 2006 - Knoxville, TN, United States
Duration: Aug 21 2006Aug 25 2006

Conference

Conference23rd International Linear Accelerator Conference, LINAC 2006
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityKnoxville, TN
Period08/21/0608/25/06

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Recent operation of the ORELA electron linac at ORNL for neutron cross-section research'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this