A prototype compact accelerator-based neutron source (CANS) for Canada

Canada's access to neutron beams for neutron scattering was significantly curtailed in 2018 with the closure of the National Research Universal (NRU) reactor in Chalk River, Ontario, Canada. New sources are needed for the long-term; otherwise, access will only become harder as the global supply shrinks. Compact Accelerator-based Neutron Sources (CANS) offer the possibility of an intense source of neutrons with a capital cost significantly lower than spallation sources. In this paper, we propose a CANS for Canada. The proposal is staged with the first stage offering a medium neutron flux, linear accelerator-based approach for neutron scattering that is also coupled with a boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) station and a positron emission tomography (PET) isotope production station. The first stage will serve as a prototype for a second stage: a higher brightness, higher cost facility that could be viewed as a national centre for neutron applications.

2018年，随着位于加拿大安大略省乔克河的国家研究通用（NRU）反应堆关闭，加拿大获取用于中子散射的中子束的途径大幅减少。从长远来看，需要新的中子源；否则，随着全球供应的减少，获取途径只会变得更加困难。基于紧凑型加速器的中子源（CANS）提供了一种高强度中子源的可能性，其资金成本明显低于散裂源。在本文中，我们为加拿大提出了一种CANS。该提议分阶段进行，第一阶段提供中等中子通量、基于直线加速器的中子散射方法，同时还与一个硼中子俘获治疗（BNCT）站和一个正电子发射断层扫描（PET）同位素生产站相结合。第一阶段将作为第二阶段的原型：一个更高亮度、成本更高的设施，可被视为一个国家中子应用中心。