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Weapons Neutron Research FacilityFacility Description The Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE), which produces intense sources of pulsed neutrons, provides the scientific community with the capability to perform experiments supporting national security and civilian research. The neutron beams are available at the Manuel Lujan Jr. Neutron Scattering Center (MLNSC)—which provides neutron beams from 10-5 eV to a few hundred keV of energy—and the Weapons Neutron Research (WNR) facility. The WNR facility consists of a high-energy “white” neutron source (Target 4), a proton reaction area (Target-2), as well as the nuclear physics flight paths at the MLNSC. A continuous-energy spectrum of neutrons is produced at Target-4 via spallation reactions on a bare unmoderated tungsten target. The energy range of the neutrons produced is from less than 1 MeV to over 600 MeV. Because the proton beam is pulsed, the energy of the neutrons can be determined by time-of-flight (TOF) techniques. The time structure of the proton beam can easily be optimized for the requirements of particular experiments. Typically, Target-4 operates with a proton beam current of approximately 5 µmA, 1.8 msec between pulses and approximately 35,000 pulses/sec. Target-4 is the most intense high-energy neutron source in the world. Target-4 has 6 flight paths instrumented for a variety of measurements.
Equipment List Not Available Facility Access Open Last Update: 20 November 2008 Technical Contact |
