NPL instruments at the research reactor LVR-15

The research reactor LVR-15 is a medium power light water research reactor operated by the Research Centre Řež. It is a medium power water reactor providing moderate flux of thermal neutrons at nine horizontal radial channes and vertical irradiation channels. NPL uses this facility as a source of neutrons for neutron scattering experiments and nuclear analytical methods. Five neutron scattering instruments are installed at four horizontal thermal neutron channels (HK4 HK6, HK8 and HK9) and serve primarily to resarch in the fields of material science and solid state physics. In addition, one horizontal channel (HK3) hosts special beamline for neutron depth profiling and prompt gamma activation analyses.

Tandetron 4130 MC

The Tandetron 4130 MC at the Laboratory of Nuclear analytical methods (NAM) is compact, multipurpose linear electrostatic tandem accelerator system produced by High Voltage Engineering Europa  (HVEE). It was installed at NAM in the November 2005. The main purpose of the Tandetron is production of ion beams with energies in the range from 400 keV to 24 MeV of almost all elements of the periodic system. In NAM is the medium-current (MC) version Tandetron with a terminal voltage varying from 200 kV to 3 MV. Due to an effective suppression of the X-ray level, the accelerator can be operated in the typical laboratory conditions without a need of extra shielding.

The tandem acceleration is based on a two-stage acceleration process. At the beginning, singly charged negative ions produced by one of two available ion sources enter a low-energy accelerator tube. Their initial kinetic energy at the low-energy tube entrance is adjusted by ion optics elements to be at most 80 keV. The negative ions are accelerated towards the positive high voltage (HV) terminal kept at th

e terminal voltage VT one or two orders of magnitude higher. Inside the HV terminal a gas stripper canal is located where ions lose their electrons due to a charge exchange during collisions with gas molecules, and become n-times positively charged. These positive ions are further accelerated towards the groundedhigh-energy accelerator tube base.

On the low-energy side, the Tandetron is equipped with a dual-source injector system. It comprises two ion sources – a duoplasmatron and a Cs sputter ion source, a Li charge-exchange canal, ion optics elements, a 90° switching/analyzing magnet, and a vacuum system.

Capabilities

Operating energy range: 200 keV – 10 MeV

Terminal voltage: 200 kV – 3 MV

Produced accelerated ions: H – Au

Ion beam currents: nA – µA

Access for external users

Neutron Physics Laboratory (NPL) - in the frame of CANAM (Center of Accelerators and Nuclear Analytical Methods) infrastructure - offers open access to its facilities for external users.

Access to the facilities in is free of charge for national and international academic users, provided that the results from experiments at the facilities of the NPI infrastructure will be disseminated in the public domain (users from private and industry sectors can arrange purchase of the access to NPL facilities; for further information, please contact the User Office). For eligible users from EU and associated states, a support within NMI3 project can be asked for.

To apply for open access to the NPI infrastructure facilities, scientific proposals should be submitted via User Portal. At Neutron Physics Laboratory, there are no deadlines (i.e. the proposal can be submitted at any time). The proposals will undergo the review procedure by Scientific Selection Panel.

The use of the CANAM infrastructure must be properly mentioned in publications which originated from NPL experiments (for example: Measurements were carried out at the CANAM infrastructure of the NPI ASCR Rez).