PROPOSED CF-252 USER FACILITY FOR NEUTRON SCIENCE AT OAK-RIDGE-NATIONAL-LABORATORY

The Radiochemical Engineering Development Center (REDC) at Oak Ridge N ational Laboratory has petitioned to establish a Californium-252 User Facility for Neutron Science for academic, industrial, and governmenta l researchers. The REDC Californium Facility (CF) stores the national inventory of sealed Cf-252 neutron sources for university and research loans. Within the CF, the Cf-252 storage pool and two uncontaminated hot cells currently in service for the Californium Program will form t he physical basis for the User Facility. Relevant applications include dosimetry and experiments for neutron tumor therapy; fast and thermal neutron activation analysis of materials; experimental configurations for prompt gamma neutron activation analysis; neutron shielding and m aterial damage studies; and hardness testing of radiation detectors, c ameras, and electronics. A formal User Facility simplifies working arr angements and agreements between U.S. Department of Energy facilities, academia, and commercial interests. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.