SYMPOSIA PAPER Published: 01 January 1994
STP15175S

Spallation Radiation Damage and Dosimetry for Accelerator Transmutation of Waste Applications

Source

Proposals are currently being made for systems to treat radioactive waste based on the use of accelerator-driven neutron sources. A linear proton accelerator with energies as high as 1600 MeV and currents up to 250 ma are anticipated for the driver. The neutron fluxes may reach up to 1020 neutrons/m2s as generated by the spallation reactions that occur when the protons strike target materials. Calculations are described to determine radiation fluxes and flux spectra inherent in such systems and to estimate likely radiation effects on system components. The calculations use LAHET, a Monte Carlo high-energy transport code, and MCNP, a generalized-geometry, coupled neutron-photon Monte Carlo transport code. Cross sections for displacement and helium production are presented for spallation neutrons of energies from 21 MeV to 1600 MeV for Inconel 718 (Ni plus 18.5, 18.5, 5.1, and 3 wt% of Cr, Fe, Nb, and Mo, respectively), an alloy that is used for the proton beam entry window in several accelerators. In addition, calculations for this alloy are presented for the primary knocked-on atom (PKA) spectrum and the transmutation yield for 1600 MeV incident neutrons.

Author Information

Wechsler, MS
North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
Ferguson, PD
University of Missouri-Rolla, Rolla, MO
Lin, C
North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
Sommer, WF
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM
Price: $25.00
Contact Sales
Related
Reprints and Permissions
Reprints and copyright permissions can be requested through the
Copyright Clearance Center
Details
Developed by Committee: E10
Pages: 782–791
DOI: 10.1520/STP15175S
ISBN-EB: 978-0-8031-5281-6
ISBN-13: 978-0-8031-1899-7