A series of neutron time of flight method applications on the China Advanced Research Reactor

• Published in: Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment, 2020-02, Vol.953, p.163215, Article 163215
• Main Authors: Yu, Zhouxiang, Li, Tianfu, Liang, Feng, Wang, Zijun, Li, Bonan, Liu, Rongdeng, Tian, Lichao, Wu, Liqi, Zhang, Li, Liu, Yuntao, Chen, Dongfeng
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: High-order neutrons; Neutron time of flight; Neutron velocity selector; Neutron wavelength spectrum
• ISSN: 0168-9002; 1872-9576
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nima.2019.163215

The advantages of time of flight method enable it to be widely used on stationary reactors. In this study, we reported several typical applications of time of flight method on the China Advanced Research Reactor (CARR). First, a new solution is designed to measure the beam characteristics including wavelengths, wavelength resolution rates and intensities of HOPG(002) monochromator for the unfiltered and filtered cases. Second, the changes in neutron wavelength spectra on the cross section of curved neutron guide CNGB end were examined and studied. It can be concluded that evident shape changes between neutron wavelength spectra along horizontal direction are mainly caused by the horizontal curving of curved neutron guide and dips at other wavelengths apart from 4 Å are mainly caused by small radius of curvature of curved neutron guide. Third, based on neutron velocity selector of small angle neutron scattering instrument at CARR, a calibration instrument is designed, and calibration experiments are conducted and simulated. The results indicate that the discrepancy between the experimental wavelength resolution rate and the theoretical one is caused by beam divergence linked with the critical reflection angle of neutron guide coating and the difference between experimental wavelength and the theoretical one is caused by the shape change of source neutron wavelength spectrum. These findings are reported here for the first time.