Neutron production with a 10 kW HiCANS based on SATELIT, a CEA-Saclay target with liquid lithium
L. Thulliez, N. Berton, R. Boudouin, N. Cavalière, S. Cazaux, T. Chaminade, N. Chauvin, D. Chirpaz, J. -L. Courouau, Q. Cridling, P. Daniel-Thomas, J. Darpentigny, G. Debras, G. Disset, A. Drouart, E. Dumonteil, R. Duperrier, R. Ferdinand, E. Giner Demange, J. -C. Guillard, N. Jonqueres, T. Lebrun, D. Loiseau, J. Mendes, B. Mom, F. Ott, C. Péron, J. Phocas, Y. Reinert, A. Roger, Y. Sauce, F. Senée, M. Trocmé, C. Veyssière, D. Vurpillot, X. Wohleber
TL;DR
The paper addresses the need for medium-scale neutron sources in Europe by integrating a liquid lithium SATELIT target with a 3 MeV, up to 100 mA IPHI proton driver to produce neutrons via the $^{7}$Li$(p,n)^{7}$Be reaction. It details the design, simulation (TOUCANS/Geant4), and experimental validation of the TMRS and moderator to extract a thermal neutron beam with flux around $10^{6}$ n cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$, supported by activation-foil and neutron-imaging measurements. A 22-day campaign yielded $8.4\times10^{2}$ kWh of deposited beam energy, including two days of continuous operation over $11$ hours, demonstrating high reliability but highlighting $^{7}$Be buildup as a radiological safety challenge for long-term use. Overall, the study shows that liquid-lithium HiCANS like SATELIT can fill the gap for medium-scale neutron sources in Europe, providing a pathway toward near-user neutron beams with manageable shielding and monitoring strategies.
Abstract
High-Current Accelerator-driven Neutron Sources (HiCANS) are currently under development across Europe to address the shortage of medium-scale neutron sources, as many research nuclear reactors have been decommissioned over the past several years. At CEA-Saclay, a HiCANS has been developed utilizing the IPHI accelerator, which delivers a 3 MeV proton beam with a current of up to 100 mA, and the CEA-Saclay liquid lithium target named SATELIT. In 2024-2025, a successful experimental campaign was conducted, during which a 10 kW proton beam was directed at the liquid lithium target for nearly 100 h to generate neutrons via the 7Li(p,n)7Be nuclear reaction. Throughout the experimental campaign, a total deposited beam power of 840~kW.h was accumulated, including two continuous operational days exceeding 11 h each. A polyethylene moderator coupled with SATELIT enabled the extraction of a thermal neutron beam, with a flux measured at 1.4 m from the extraction point exceeding $10^6$ n.cm$^{-2}$.s$^{-1}$, which is sufficient for numerous neutron applications. The next step for the long-term operation of this facility involves developing strategies to mitigate the radiological concerns associated with the accumulation of 7Be within the system. Overall, this work demonstrates that such facilities can play a significant role in the future of medium-scale neutron sources in Europe.