Recent activities on neutron beam utilization

In Japan, the utilization of neutron beam brought out in research reactors had mainly been carried out in KUR of Kyoto University and JRR-2 of Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) in the fields of neutron scattering experiment, neutron radiography, neutron induced prompt-gamma ray analysis, medical and biological irradiation and so on. After the completion of upgrading work of JRR-3 in JAERI in 1990 (JRR-3M), the quality and quantity for the neutron beam experiments are extremely improved by means of its high intensity of neutron flux and high signal-to-noise ratio of cold and thermal neutron beams at more than twenty neutron beam ports. Especially, the cold neutron beam has brought the field of the utilization expanded and the neutron guide tubes have increased the number of neutron beam facilities as if there are three research reactors. These facilities induced to more active use of research reactors and increased the researchers in the many fields. At present, research reactors are utilized widely in various fields of not only nuclear researches but also non-nuclear researches and industrial uses. The JRR-3M has been operated only for about three years, however, interesting results have already been obtained using cold and thermal neutron beams. The current status of the neutron beam utilization using the research reactors in JAERI is reported and also several research topics obtained at JRR-3M are introduced in this presentation. (author)