Design of a neutron radiography facility at the spallation source SINQ

The continuous-current neutron source SINQ is presently under construction at the Paul Scherrer Institute (Switzerland). First operational tests are scheduled to begin during the last quarter of 1996. SINQ will provide both thermal and cold neutron beams for a wide variety of experimental facilities. A neutron radiography facility has been designed and is under construction. It consists of the first collimation path inside the target shielding, the outer beam line and the shielded radiography room. The design of the new facility has been performed using computer simulation to optimize the collimator geometry and shielding. The special conditions at the spallation source had to be taken into account, especially the increased shielding requirements due to high energy beam components. A thermal flux density in the order of 5.106 cm-2s-1 is expected at the end position of the radiography line. The facility is intended to continue the neutron radiography program of the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) that had been developed and performed at the radiography facility of the research reactor SAPHIR, which was shut down at the end of 1993. The program focused on high precision quantitative radiography. The new facility will be an instrument for the continuation of these investigations as well as for a widening of the scope of activities. (orig.)