Plasma and Fusion Research

Volume 13, 2505013 (2018)

Overview Articles

Current Status of the High Intensity Pulsed Spallation Neutron Source at J-PARC
Hiroshi TAKADA
J-PARC Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 2-4 Shirakata, Tokai-mura, Naka-gun, Ibaraki 319-1195, Japan
(Received 11 June 2017 / Accepted 19 January 2018 / Published 28 March 2018)

Abstract

At the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex, a pulsed spallation neutron source has been providing neutron beams with high intensities and narrow pulse widths since 2008 for various materials science experiments. The neuron-pulse characteristics measured during early low-power operations indicated that this source is capable of providing the world's highest peak neutron intensities and pulse resolution at the 1-MW operation level, which is the goal of the facility. To achieve this operational goal, efforts have been underway to solve a critical issue affecting the target operation, i.e. mitigation of cavitation damages at the front end of the mercury target vessel, by injecting gas micro-bubbles and using a fast flow of the mercury through a narrow channel. Another issue is that the target vessel needs to be redesigned to ensure its robustness against the cyclic thermal stress produced by the temperature swings when the proton-beam trips because the water shroud surrounding the mercury target vessel failed during 500-kW operation in 2015.

Keywords

spallation neutron source, mercury target, moderator, para-hydrogen, decoupler, cavitation damage, pressure wave, micro-bubble, narrow channel

DOI: 10.1585/pfr.13.2505013

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