Evaluation of integral quantities in an accelerator driven system using different nuclear models implemented in the MCNPX Monte Carlo transport code

Abstract

The MCNPX code offers options based on physics packages; the Bertini, ISABEL, INCL4 intra-nuclear models, and Dresner, ABLA evaporation-fission models and CEM2k cascade-exciton model. This study analyzes the main quantities determining ADS performance, such as neutron yield, neutron leakage spectra, heating and neutron and proton spectra in the target and in the beam window calculated by the MCNPX-2.5.0 Monte Carlo transport code, which is a combination of LAHET and MCNP codes. The results obtained by simulating different models cited above and implemented in MCNPX are compared with each other. The investigated system is composed of a natural lead cylindrical target and stainless steel (HT9) beam window. The target has been optimized to produce maximum number of neutrons with a radius of 20 cm and 70 cm of height. The target is bombarded with a high intensity linear accelerator by a 1 GeV, 1 mA proton beam. The protons are assumed uniformly distributed across the beam of radius 3 cm, and entering the target through a hole of 5.3 cm radius. The proton beam has an outer radius of 53 cm and an inner radius of 5.0 cm. The maximum value of the neutron flux in the target is observed on the axis similar to 10 cm below the beam window, where the maximum difference between 7 different models is similar to 15%. The total neutron leakage of the target calculated with the Bertini/ABLA is 1.83 x 10(17) n/s, and is about 14% higher than the value calculated by the INCL4/Dresner (1.60 x 10(17) n/s). Bertini/ABLA calculates top, bottom and side neutron leakage fractions as 20%, 2.3%, 77.6% of the total leakage, respectively, whereas, the calculated fractions are 18.6%, 2.3%, 79.4%, respectively, with INCL4/Dresner combination. The largest heat deposition density by considering all particles in the beam window calculated with CEM2k model is 104 W/cm(3)/mA, which is 9.0% greater than the lowest value predicted with INCL4/Dresner model (95.4 W/cm(3)/mA). The maximum average heat deposition density for all particles in the target is calculated as 6.87 W/cm(3)/mA with INCL4/ABLA. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.