Proton Driver Linac for the Frankfurt Neutron Source

Abstract

The Frankfurt Neutron Source at the Stern‐Gerlach‐Zentrum (FRANZ) will deliver high neutron fluxes in the energy range of 1 to 500 keV. The Activation Mode provides a high averaged neutron flux created by a cw proton beam of up to 5 mA, while in the Compressor Mode intense neutron pulses of 1 ns length are formed with a repetition rate of up to 250 kHz. The Compressor Mode is well‐suited for energy‐dependent neutron capture measurements using the Time‐of‐Flight method in combination with a 4π BaF2 detector array. The design of the proton driver linac for both operation modes is presented. This includes the volume type ion source, the E×B chopper located in the low energy section, the RFQ‐IH combination for beam acceleration and the bunch compressor. Finally, the neutron production at the lithium‐7 target and the resulting energy spectrum is described.