HZDR founded in 1992 is a registered, non-profit institution supported by the German federal government and the Free State of Saxony. It pursues interdisciplinary research in the fields of advanced materials research, cancer research as well as nuclear safety research. At HZDR there are 750 employees including 330 scientists in six research institutes.
The largest research facility at HZDR is the radiation source ELBE, a 40 MeV superconducting electron accelerator delivering a beam intensity of up to 1 mA in continuous wave mode. The excellent pulse structure and beam properties of ELBE allow to use this beam to operate the photo-neutron source nELBE for neutron time of flight measurements. The nELBE neutron source has reached a source strength of 5·1011 n·s-1 corresponding to a neutron intensity on target of 3·105 n·s-1. The source has a fast neutron spectrum from ca. 100 keV to 8 MeV. In addition, a high intensity low background bremsstrahlung source with endpoint energy up to 20 MeV is available for photon scattering and photonuclear reaction studies.
Relevant experience
HZDR has coordinated the FP7-CSA-ERINDA and participated in the FP6-I3-EFNUDAT. It contributes with knowledge in the field of fast neutron time of flight measurements, in particular, of inelastic neutron scattering and photonuclear reactions using bremsstrahlung as well as in development and application of particle transport codes.
Role and main tasks
HZDR will coordinate WP4 "Calls for proposals of Transnational Access to the consortium facilities and their evaluation". Within WP5, HZDR provides access to its accelerator facility ELBE and supports experiments of external users by its measurement capabilities and the expertise of its staff members. External users will have full access to the facilities and their state-of-the-art bremsstrahlung and neutron set-ups dedicated to transmutation research. Within WP8 "Development of new setups and methods for measuring elastic, inelastic and (n,xn) cross sections" HZDR will develop a setup to measure angular distributions in neutron scattering. In WP10 HZDR will contribute to all subtasks of "Development of a methodology for uncertainty assessment and minimization in ADS target and accelerator safety analyses".
Scientific and technical personnel involved
- Dr. Arnd R. Junghans: Experience in nuclear physics experiments with electron accelerators, low energy van de Graaffs and relativistic heavy ion synchrotrons, measuring cross sections of particle and neutron induced reactions. Leader of the HZDR "Nuclear Transmutation" project.
- Dr. Anna Ferrari: Experience in development and application of particle transport codes including the high-energy range relevant to ADS system simulation.
- Dr. Ronald Schwengner: Over 25 years experience in nuclear-structure experiments at more than 10 heavy-ion and electron accelerators in Europe using gamma and particle spectroscopy.