INTER-UNIVERSITY ACCELERATOR CENTRE, NEW DELHI (IUACD) RADIOCARBON DATE LIST II

ABSTRACT Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) activities at the Inter-University Accelerator Centre (IUAC) in New Delhi, India, started with its 15UD Pelletron accelerator and cosmogenic radionuclide (CRN) measurements of 10Be and 26Al. Realizing the demand of a radiocarbon (14C) AMS facility in India, a 500kV Pelletron accelerator based AMS system was installed in 2015. This facility was designated with the lab code IUACD for 14C measurements. 14C dates measured in 2015 and 2016 were published in the first radiocarbon date list (see text for details). The present list is the second 14C date list and consists of dates measured from January to December 2017.

INTER-UNIVERSITY ACCELERATOR CENTRE, NEW DELHI (IUACD) RADIOCARBON DATE LIST I

ABSTRACTA new facility for radiocarbon dating by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) was established in early 2015 at the Inter-University Accelerator Centre in New Delhi, India. The facility uses a 500 kV National Electrostatic Corporation (NEC) Pelletron accelerator for AMS measurements on graphite produced using the automated graphitization equipment (AGE) interfaced with an elemental analyzer and the carbonate handling system (CHS). A precision of better than 1‰ in the ratio of 14C/12C for the modern carbon sample and the background level of 1 × 10–15 from dead carbon sample has been achieved. This is the first dedicated accelerator of India only for AMS activities. This AMS system has the capabilities to perform 10Be and 26Al measurements as well.

From micro- to macro- neutron sources: The Lund Broad-band Neutron Facility

The Lund Broad-band Neutron Facility provides access to a variety of neutron sources together with a well-established user infrastructure. Neutrons from radioactive sources have been successfully employed for the research and development of both detectors and materials for the European Spallation Source. A recently procured d-t neutron generator delivers higher neutron fluxes than those provided by the radioactive sources, and further allows for pulsed operation. With the currently on-going construction of a dedicated neutron beam-line at our 3 MeV Pelletron accelerator, the facility is anticipated to produce approximately 1010 n/s. Cost-effective access to neutrons as well as a platform for educational purposes are the ultimate goals of the project.

Neutron beam line for TOF measurements at the Spanish National Accelerator Lab (CNA)

A few years ago, the Spanish National Accelerator Lab (CNA) developed the first accelerator-based neutron facility in Spain called HiSPANoS (HiSPAlis Neutron Source). The first applications of the line were related to integral measurements applied to nuclear astrophysics, dosimetry and single event effects produced by neutrons in electronic devices. The successful of HiSPANoS pushed the enhancement of the facility. In collaboration with the NEC® Company, two devices were designed for pulsing ion beams (Chopper) and for compressing in time (Buncher) the pulsed beams. The Chopper-Buncher system has been already installed and commissioned. Proton and deuteron beams are delivered with repetition rates from 62.5 kHz to 2 MHz and 1 ns pulse width. In addition, a new line of the 3 MV Tandem Pelletron accelerator was designed for neutron time-of-flight (TOF) experiments. Conventional devices and a dedicated Pick-Up for timing measurements form the new line. In order to check the performance of the whole TOF system, we have carried out the measurement of the neutron spectrum produced by 7Li(p,n)7Be reaction at Ep = 1912 keV. Such spectrum has been measured by the TOF technique few times and it can be considered a standard neutron field, in particular in nuclear astrophysics. The first result of such experiment performed at CNA is shown in some detail. The excellent performance of the accelerator, the Chopper-Buncher system and the acquisition system allow us to offer the TOF line at HiSPANoS-CNA to the neutron community.

The Effect of Beneficiation on Some Properties of Osun State Ceramic Raw Materials

Clay, feldspar and silica sand are important industrial minerals which often need treatment commonly known as beneficiation to improve the quality of ceramic tiles produced from these materials. The different minerals, after sorting, were treated separately in distilled water, alcohol and hydrochloric acid before being crushed in a ball mill; they were then characterized using a pelletron accelerator. The results show an increased silicon content for clay, silica sand and feldspar; and reduced aluminum content for clay and silica sand but not for feldspar. Iron impurity and its oxide are also shown to reduce by over 50% in all the minerals while potassium was found to be the dominant element in feldspar among the defining elements. In conclusion, the increased quartz in the mineral will improve the hardness, density, porosity, and rigidity of ceramic tiles as well as providing support and controlling shrinkage. Furthermore, increasing the mineral quotient in feldspar will enhance its fluxing potential.

Standardization of proton induced X-ray emission for analysis of trace elements in thick samples

This paper presents the standardization of proton induced X-ray emission (PIXE) technique for the analysis of trace elements in thick, standard samples. Three standard reference materials, titanium, copper, and iron base alloys, were used for the study due to their availability. The proton beam was accelerated up to 2.57 MeV energy by 5UDH-II tandem Pelletron accelerator, and samples were irradiated at different geometries and durations. Spectra were acquired using a multi-channel spectrum analyzer, and spectra analyses were done using GUPIXWIN software for determination of elemental concentrations of trace elements. The obtained experimental data were compared with theoretical data and results were found to be in close agreement.

Possibility for nuclear physics study based on Pelletron accelerator at Hanoi, Vietnam

In this report, overview of the new installed Pelletron 5SDH-2 accelerator at Hanoi University of Science, Vietnam and possibilities for performing astrophysics-related nuclear reactions based on this accelerator will be described. In addition to that, some preliminary simulation results for designing and optimizing the experimental set-up in studying reactions 10B(α, p)13C with projectile energies in the Gamow-window will be shown.

Felsenkeller 5 MV underground accelerator: Towards the Holy Grail of Nuclear Astrophysics 12C(α, γ)16O

Low-background experiments with stable ion beams are an important tool for putting the model of stellar hydrogen, helium, and carbon burning on a solid experimental foundation. The pioneering work in this regard has been done by the LUNA collaboration at Gran Sasso, using a 0.4 MV accelerator. The present contribution reviews the status of the project for a higher-energy underground accelerator in Felsenkeller, Germany. Results from γ-ray, neutron, and muon background measurements in the Felsenkeller underground site in Dresden, Germany, show that the background conditions are satisfactory. Two tunnels of the Felsenkeller site have recently been refurbished for the installation of a 5MV high-current Pelletron accelerator. Civil construction work has completed in March 2018. The accelerator will provide intense, 50 μA, beams of 1H+, 4He+, and 12C+ ions, enabling research on astrophysically relevant nuclear reactions with unprecedented sensitivity.