Compact and easy to use mesitylene cold neutron moderator for CANS

• DOI: 10.1016/j.physb.2018.01.016
• Publication Date: 2018-01-13T02:55:57Z
• Authors: T. Cronert; J.P. Dabruck; M. Klaus; C. Lange; P. Zakalek; P.-E. Doege; J. Baggemann; Y. Beßler; M. Butzek; U. Rücker; T. Gutberlet; R. Nabbi; T. Brückel
• Keywords: 0103 physical sciences; 01 natural sciences; 7. Clean energy

Abstract Organic aromatic cold neutron moderators - like mesitylene ( C 9 H 12 ) - are often much more convenient to handle and to commission than cryogenic methane or ortho/para hydrogen moderators. Although this benefit comes at the cost of reduced brilliance, mesitylene moderators are suited to enable cold neutron applications at sources where a complex traditional cold moderator system is not feasible. Developing the Julich High Brilliance neutron Source (HBS) project, we have investigated the use of such a low-dimensional mesitylene moderator with MCNP and ANSYS simulations and validated the simulations with experiments at TU Dresden's AKR-2 reactor. Here we will document the feasibility, advantages and drawbacks of such a system and give an outlook on future optimization potentials.