GEnerator of NEutrons for Science and IrradiationS
Crédits S.Maurin 2017
The facility evolution
Built in 2003 under the name "PEREN" for the needs of the LPSC reactor physics group, the facility was dedicated to nuclear data experiments required for inovative nuclear reactor research. It consisted at the beginning in the coupling of the pulsed neutron generator GENEPI2 (designed and built by the Acelerator group of LPSC) to a lead slowing-down time spectrometer, replaced later by graphite and Teflon massive blocks.
Since 2014 the facility went through several upgrades, among which the change for a continuous source is a major one. If offers now a higher beam intensity range and a better reliability. It hosts regularly private companies needing fast neutron for irradiations.
In 2016 the facility joined the IRT (Institut de Recherche Technologique) Nanoélec program.
At the end of 2017 the facility became the GENESIS facility, and is one of the 7 IN2P3 official research platforms.
The facility
The neutron source is provided by the GENEPI 2 electrostatic accelerator : it can deliver 220 keV deuterons, analyzed by a magnet and guided onto a deutered or tritiated target. Subsequent D(d,n)3He or T(d,n)4He reactions produce fast neutrons of 3.1 MeV or 15.2 MeV respectively (at 0° for 220 keV incident neutrons). The deuteron source is a continuous source (ECR compact source), allowing the creation of deuteron beams in the intensity range from 10 μA to 1 mA. Some typical present neutron productions are summed-up in the table below.
|
Continuous Source |
En (0°) |
Neutron source max intensity (4π) |
Neutron Flux at 1 cm, 0° |
|
Tritium Target |
15.19 MeV |
~8x109 n/s |
5x107 n.cm-2.s-1 |
|
Deuterium Target |
3.09 MeV |
(characterization in progress) |
qq 105 n.cm-2.s-1 |
To use the facility
The facility can accomodate on request experiments - from public or private laboratories - requiring fast neutrons with specifications as described above. The neutron source can used alone (empty room) or with moderators. The monitoring of the neutron source is ensured by the detection of charged particles associated to the neutron production.
The user schedule is defined over a period of 6 months, any application should be sent to the
The running rate, depending on your organisation, can be provided on request.
Facility managers : Benjamin Cheymol, Accelerator Group,+33 (0)4 76 28 45 05
Scientific coordinator : Annick Billebaud, Reactor Physics Group, +33 (0)4 76 28 40 57
Technical team : Solenne Rey, Accelerator Group, +33 (0)4 76 28 45 92
