Commissioning of NAA at the new OPAL reactor in Australia

Abstract

In April 2007 the new nuclear research reactor, OPAL, was opened at Lucas Heights in Sydney. OPAL is a 20 MW open pool light water reactor with a heavy water reflector vessel and contains a cold neutron source. It is a multi-purpose facility for radioisotope production, irradiation services and neutron beam research. The OPAL design includes purpose-built facilities for instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) and delayed neutron activation analysis (DNAA). For INAA there is a short residence time facility in a neutron flux of around 2 center dot 10(13) cm(-2)center dot s(-1) and a number of long residence time facilities providing fluxes from 3 center dot 10(12) to 1 center dot 10(14) cm(-2) center dot s(-1). The flux at the short residence time DNAA facility is around 6 center dot 10(12) cm(-2) center dot s(-1). The main focus for INAA at OPAL is the research community, meeting the needs of a wide range of disciplines, including mineral processing, geology, the environment, health and archaeology. Both the relative (comparator) method and the k(0)-method of standardization for INAA are being established in OPAL. A description of progress, plans and capabilities are presented. © 2008, Springer.