Benchmarks of Subcriticality in Accelerator-Driven System Experiments at Kyoto University Critical Assembly

Abstract

Basic research on the accelerator-driven system is conducted by combining ²³⁵U-fueled and ²³²Th-loaded cores in the Kyoto University Critical Assembly with the pulsed neutron generator (14 MeV neutrons) and the proton beam accelerator (100 MeV protons with a heavy metal target). The results of experimental subcriticality are presented with a wide range of subcriticality level between near critical and 10, 000 pcm, as obtained by the pulsed neutron source method, the Feynman-α method, and the neutron source multiplication method.