High-power proton linac for transmuting the long-lived fission products in nuclear waste

摘要

A high-power proton linac is being considered at Los Alamos as a driver for a high-flux spallation neutron source capable of transmuting the troublesome long-lived fission products in defense nuclear waste. The transmutation scheme under study provides a high flux (<10/sup 16//cm/sup 2/-s) of thermal neutrons which efficiently converts fission products to stable or short-lived isotopes. A transmuter based on a medium-energy proton linac generating 110 MW of beam power could burn accumulated /sup 99/Tc and /sup 129/I inventory at the US DOE's Hanford site within 30 years. Preliminary concepts for the accelerator are discussed.