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中国物理学会期刊

宽能中子与碳相互作用的高精度全截面测量与分析

CSTR:32037.14.aps.75.20251350

High-precision total cross-section measurement and analysis of wide-energy neutron-carbon interactions

CSTR:32037.14.aps.75.20251350
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  • 中子全截面是关键的核反应数据之一. 基于中国散裂中子源Back-n白光中子束线, 采用透射法与中子飞行时间法测量了天然碳中子全截面. 实验利用基于多层裂变电离室的NTOX谱仪, 通过γ-flash定时、235U共振峰刻度飞行距离、双束团解谱等技术, 获得了0.3—50 MeV能区天然碳中子全截面. 实验数据在0.3—100 keV能区与ENDF/B-VIII.1评价库及已报道的测量结果高度吻合, 但不确定度更小; 在100 keV以上能区, 经双束团解谱后的数据与主要评价数据库趋势一致, 并清晰展示了2 MeV以上的中子共振结构. 本研究为澄清是否存在4.93 MeV的共振峰和20 MeV以上能区的数据再评价提供了高质量实验数据参考.

    The neutron total cross-section is basic nuclear data crucial for the design of nuclear energy systems and research in nuclear physics. For graphite, an important reactor moderator, there are significant discrepancies among the major evaluated nuclear data libraries concerning its high-energy neutron total cross section, especially in the resonance structures and the regions above 20 MeV. These uncertainties limit the precise design of advanced nuclear systems. To resolve these controversies and provide benchmark experimental data, this study performs a high-accuracy measurement of the neutron total cross-section of natural carbon from 0.3 eV to 50 MeV by using the transmission method combined with the time-of-flight (TOF) technique. The experiment is conducted at the back-streaming white neutrons (Back-n) at the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS), by utilizing the NTOX spectrometer equipped with a multi-cell fission chamber. The neutron emission time (t0) is precisely calibrated using the prompt γ-flash from the spallation reaction. The 77-meter flight path is accurately calibrated using the known standard fission resonance peaks of 235U at 8.774 eV, 12.386 eV, and 19.288 eV. For the energy region above 100 keV, a Bayesian iterative algorithm is adopted to unfold the double-bunch problem, effectively resolving the overlap of TOF spectra from neutrons produced in different beam bunches. The experimental results show excellent agreement with the ENDF/B-VIII.1 evaluation and existing experimental data in the EXFOR database within the 0.3 eV−100 keV region. Owing to the high statistical accuracy, approximately 97.6% of the data points have statistical uncertainties of less than 1%, and the vast majority of total uncertainties are better than 2%, significantly reducing the uncertainty level in this energy region. In the 100 keV−50 MeV energy range, the data are consistent with the overall trends observed in mainstream evaluation databases. No significant resonance effect is detected at 4.93 MeV, thereby providing high-quality reference data for clarifying the resonance structure at this energy point. Systematically evaluated data above 20 MeV are currently only available in JENDL-5. The measurement results of this work provide indispensable high-quality experimental data to fill the high-energy data gap and drive updates to the relevant evaluated libraries. This study not only provides critical benchmark data for international nuclear data re-evaluation, especially for the CENDL-3.2 library which currently lacks complete data for natural carbon, but also systematically validates the methodological reliability of obtaining wide-energy-range, high-precision neutron total cross section data at the CSNS Back-n beamline.

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