Study on radiation damage to high energy accelerator components by irradiation in a nuclear reactor

The structural and other components used in high energy accelerators are continuously exposed to a wide spectrum of high energy particles and electromagnetic radiation. The resulting radiation damage may severely influence the functional capability of accelerator facilities. In order to arrive at an estimate of the service life of various materials in the radiation field, simulating experiments have to be carried out in a nuclear reactor. A large number of organic and inorganic materials, electronic components, metals, etc., intended specifically for use in the 400 GeV proton synchrotron of CERN near Geneva, were irradiated in the ASTRA reactor in Seibersdorf near Vienna. This paper reports on the irradiation facilities available in this reactor for this purpose, on the dosimetry methods used, on the most important materials irradiated and on the results obtained in these experiments. (orig.)