Annual report of Department of Research Reactors and Tandem Accelerator, JFY2006. Operation, utilization and technical development of JRR-3, JRR-4, NSRR and Tandem Accelerator

The Department of Research Reactors and Tandem Accelerator is in charge of the operation, utilization and technical development of JRR-3 (Japan Research Reactor-3), JRR-4 (Japan Research Reactor-4) and NSRR (Nuclear Safety Research Reactor) and Tandem Accelerator. The following services and technical developments were achieved in Japanese Fiscal Year 2006: 1) JRR-3 was operated for 181 days in 7 cycles and JRR-4 for 149 days in 37 cycles to provide neutrons for research and development of in-house and outside users. 2) JRR-3 and JRR-4 were utilized through deliberate coordination as follows, a) Neutron irradiations of 628 materials, for neutron transmutation doping of silicon etc. b) Capsule irradiations of 3,067 samples, for neutron activation analyses etc. c) Neutron beam experiments of 6,338 cases x days. 3) Concerning to the 10 times increasing plan of cold neutron beams from JRR-3, a pressure resistant test model of the high-performance neutron moderator vessel which had been designed to increase cold neutrons twice as much as the present one was fabricated. Various developments for upgrading cold neutron guide tubes with super mirrors were in progress. 4) Boron neutron capture therapy was carried out 34 times using JRR-4. Improved neutron collimators were built to fit well to any irregular outline for cancer around the neck. 5) NSRR carried out 4 times of pulse irradiations of high burn-up MOX fuels and 9 times of un-irradiated fuels to contribute to fuel safety researches. 6) The Tandem Accelerator was operated for 201 days to contribute to the researches of nuclear physics and solid state physics with high energy heavy ions. The new utilization program of sharing beam times with outside users was performed by carrying out 45 days. The beam intensity increasing program with a high performance ion source, in place of the compact one which has been working in the high voltage terminal, has made great progress. (author)