The Huddersfield target group

Building on the Prof. Bob Cywinski's work on neutron targets, and Prof. Rob Edgecock's experience with designs for the neutrino factory, the group has expanded into the area of target simulations.

Members of the Institute have a strong experimental background in target design, implementation and neutronics, including experience in target/moderator/neutron beamline simulations and construction, particularly those associated with the initial construction phases of ISIS (1980-85) and the design phases of ESS (1992 to present)

We have a strong track record in materials physics, metal physics and alloy development, fabrication and characterisation, particularly using neutron and synchrotron x-ray scattering facilities. Such expertise is key to developing robust and effective spallation targets.

We now have considerable experience with the GEANT4 Monte Carlo program, and have been able to apply it to many different systems - and new applications come up all the time. We have access to large amounts of CPU power, through the Huddersfield campus grid and through the National Grid Service, enabling us to obtain results on reasonable timescales.

People

  • Prof R Cywinski - spallation neutron targets
  • Prof R Edgecock - targets for the neutrino factory
  • Dr A Bungau - GEANT4 simulations, in particular of muon and neutron targets for condensed matter facilities.
  • Dr C Bungau - GEANT4 simulations, in particular of high current proton beams for ADSR systems
  • N Radcliffe - GEANT4 simulations for medical physics

Results

Our studies include:

  • Studies of the ISIS muon target and how to optimise its geometry. We are now undertaking a similar study for TRIUMF, at their request.
  • A demonstration that surface muon production can be most efficiently achieved using protons at lower energies than had previously been assumed - 400 MeV rather than 800.
  • Extension of the GEANT4 model to nuclear assemblies in which the composition of the target changes with time, due to decays and to previous interactions. This required the development of new GEANT4 classes.
  • Studies of fertile to fissile conversion in Thorium, within and outside ADSR systems, and the neutronics of ADSR systems.
  • Studies of the production of unstable isotopes in targets of various configuration and isotopic composition, for use in neutrino experiments. This has grown out of the DAEδALUS project.

Collaboration

We work closely wth the target group at ISIS/RAL. Our studies of article interaction and energy deposition complement their work with thermal and shock-wave simulations. We have co-authored many papers together

Outputs

A partial list of the most recent/significant reports of the group's research

Papers

Conference proceedings