THERMAL-HYDRAULIC STUDY OF THE NEUTRON-PRODUCTION TARGET AT THE LOS-ALAMOS-NEUTRON-SCATTERING-CENTER

The Los Alamos Neutron Scattering Center (LANSCE) operates a pulsed ne utron source for materials science research. The neutrons are produced by bombarding a tungsten target with the 800 MeV proton beam from the Los Alamos Meson Physics Facility (LAMPF). In an attempt to clarify t he thermal hydraulics of the neutron production target, we performed a sequence of experiments aimed at determining temperature distribution s in the target, as well as various heat transfer parameters. The resu lts of these measurements were compared, and shown to agree, with radi ation transport and heat transfer calculations. The information obtain ed from these tests was then used to determine other target properties , such as thermal stress, that are very difficult to measure directly.