Benchmark Experiments for Verifying the Working Parameters of the Blankets of a Thermonuclear Neutron Source

Abstract

The possibility of verifying benchmark experiments which are necessary for design validation of the blankets of the TIN-ST thermonuclear neutron source based on the I-2 proton accelerator using neutrons from the reaction ⁷Li(p, n) is analyzed. It is shown that modern software and databases are effective in calculating the neutron spectra for two types of thorium blankets: solid-state and molten-salt. The hardware and procedures used to develop an adequate idea of the spectral characteristics of the neutron fluxes from plasma and accelerator sources are examined. The results can become the basis for designing micromodels of blankets for subsequent verification benchmark experiments.