https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/i2014-14078-9
Regular Article - Experimental Physics
Performance of the solid deuterium ultra-cold neutron source at the pulsed reactor TRIGA Mainz
1
Institute of Physics, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Staudingerweg 7, D-55128, Mainz, Germany
2
Institute of Nuclear Chemistry, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Fritz-Strassmann-Weg 2, D-55128, Mainz, Germany
3
Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Health & Environment Department, Muthgasse 11, 1190, Wien, Austria
* e-mail: wheil@uni-mainz.de
Received:
15
August
2013
Revised:
28
February
2014
Accepted:
11
March
2014
Published online:
25
April
2014
The performance of the solid deuterium ultra-cold neutron (UCN) source at the pulsed reactor TRIGA Mainz with a maximum peak energy of 10MJ is described. The solid deuterium converter with a volume of 
cm3 (8mol), which is exposed to a thermal neutron fluence of 
n/cm2, delivers up to 240000 UCN (
m/s) per pulse outside the biological shield at the experimental area. UCN densities of 
10 cm3 are obtained in stainless-steel bottles of 
10 L. The measured UCN yields compare well with the predictions from a Monte Carlo simulation developed to model the source and to optimize its performance for the upcoming upgrade of the TRIGA Mainz into a user facility for UCN physics.
© SIF, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, 2014
