The New German Neutron Source Frm Ii

The new research reactor of the Technische Universität München will provide the German needs of neutrons for the beginning of the next century. High intensities of thermal neutrons are provided by a particular densely packed core of highly enriched uranium and are extracted by 12 beam apertures. The low thermal power of 20 MW allows the positioning of a D2 cold source at a maximum of the thermal neutron flux in the D2O moderator. This cold source is seen by 3 beam tubes, one of which feeds a neutron guide hall. A graphite hot source shifts the thermal spectrum to shorter wavelengths with a maximum of the Maxwellian distribution at λ∼0.5Å. At the outer limit of the moderator a Uranium converter is installed to provide fission neutrons of MeV energy for use in cancer therapy and fast neutron tomography. Pneumatic and hydraulic rabbit irradiation systems, a silicon transmutation facility, irradiation positions in the control rod and outside the moderator tank serve the needs for radio nuclei, radiopharmaceutical, neutron activation analysis and other industrial applications. The instrumentation, worked out largely by the German user community, is currently under construction and aims on a multidisciplinary use for basic and applied research as well as industrial needs. Both the introduction of new techniques and the considerable progress in the performance of standard techniques is envisaged. Being a national neutron source the FRM II will also be the basis for international co-operation of the German neutron user community.