Measurement Techniques, VoL 40, No.

10, 1997

The attention of the readers is drawn to the continuation of a selection of articles on material from the Eleventh International Seminar on "Accurate Measurements in Nuclear Spectroscopy" (commenced in Izmeritel'naya Tekhnika, Nos. 6 and 8, 1997).

DESIGN OF A PRISM BETA SPECTROMETER

FOR

O P E R A T I O N IN T H E P I K R E A C T O R

A. A. Rodionov, Yu. L. Khazov, M. G. Maksimov, and Yu. L. Kleiman

UDC 539.1 +539.5

A description is given of a planned prism beta spectrometer intended for precise measurements of conversion electron spectra both from radiative capture reactions and radioactive sources, and its characteristics are presented.

Powerful instrumentation is being created for the PIK reactor being built at the St. Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute (PIYaF) of the Russian Academy of Sciences. This reactor will be used for investigating the fundamental properties of matter, in nuclear and elementary-particle physics and in solid-state physics, and also in order to use physical methods in applied fields of knowledge. A set of instruments has been created for nuclear physics research, and these will yield mutually complementary results. One such instrument is a prism beta spectrometer which is intended for making precise measurements of the spectra of electrons emitted both directly in radiative neutron-capture reactions and also from radioactive sources. As well as traditional spectrometric investigations, the magnetic moments of excited states of nuclei will be systematically determined by measuring the hyperf'me energy shift of conversion lines, as proposed at the PIYaF [I-3]. By employing the methods of beta spectroscopy it will be possible to obtain information concerning solid-state properties (for example, surface phenomena, chemical effects). M6ssbauer spectroscopy with conversion electrons is a sensitive method for investigating surfaces and thin fills. When developing the design, the main attention was devoted to ensuring a high accuracy for measuring electron energies (with a relative error of the order of 10 -6) and to creating a spectrometer having extensive experimental possibilities. At present, the spectrometer is 60-70% ready. The design makes provision for: changing the spectrometer parameters (the dispersion, solid angle) during operation by interchanging sections of the lens windings; - - the possibility of applying to a target consisting of 20 strips a biasing potential which can be distributed between the strips, so increasing the effective area of the target by a factor of 20; -- using a multiple detector making it possible to record 20 electron spectra simultaneously; -- measuring e-3" and e - X coincidences; -- using an intermittent beam of neutrons when operating on-line with the reactor. Various types of prism spectrometer were considered in detail in papers presented at a seminar on "Prism Spectrometers and Their Applications" [4]. A schematic diagram of the prism spectrometer for the PIK reactor is shown in Fig. 1. The magnetic prism is the most demanding part of the spectrometer. The dispersion and the maximum aperture depend on the shape of the magnetic field it produces in the gap. The design of the magnetic prism is given schematically in Fig. 2, which shows only the ferromagnetic Translated from Izmeritel'naya Tekhnika, No. 10, pp. 54-57, October, 1997. 0543-1972/97/4010-1003518.00 9 Plenum Publishing Corporation 1003

J
Fig. 1. Layout of the prism beta spectrometer for the PIK reactor: 1) magnetic prism; 2) collimator lens; 3) focusing lens; 4) detector; 5) reference NMR magnet; 6) rotating coils; 7) target-source; 8) neutron guide; 9) reactor biological screen; 10) active-zone heavy-water reflector.

1 1
9NM RMCO

Fig. 2. Schematic diagram of the magnetic prism spectrometer. parts and the energizing coils. The prism has plane pole pieces of area 1700 x 350 mm2 and manufactured from 79NM alloy. The working gap between the pole pieces is 200 mm and the yoke is of ARMCO soft iron. The magnetic induction at the distribution maximum is varied in the range 20-400 G. The required two-dimensional characteristics of the magnetic field in the working region (the relative variation in the magnetic flux through unit area along the trajectory must be smaller than 10 -5 along the x axis of the prism) is obtained by dividing each pole piece into two parallel plates with an auxiliary 50-ram gap. Provision is made for aligning the pole pieces. The collimating and focusing magnetic lenses (see Fig. 1) are 2500-mm long and have 220-mm diameter distributed sectioned windings. By switching in different sets of windings, one can change the shape of the field in the lenses, and this makes it possible to vary the focal length in the range 450-1500 ram. This provides operational control of the dispersion D and the solid angle fl: 1004

D = 2fr tgct, ~ a x

R21(4f2),

where j~ is the focal length of the focusing lens; = is the angle of incidence of a parallel electron beam on the prism, which depends on the shape of the prism field; R is the internal radius of the lens tube; fc is the focal length of the collimator lens. The lenses are shielded by a multilayer magnetic screen made of 79NM alloy in order to eliminate the influence of external magnetic fields on the electron trajectories. In its developed version, the detector takes the form of 20 proportional chambers. Each chamber has a 1 x 60-ram entry window located in the focal plane of the focusing lens, the focal plane being positioned outside the lens windings, so providing free access to the detector. The collection system enables 20 conversion electron spectra to be recorded simultaneously. The target-source chamber is also positioned outside the magnetic lens and is readily accessible. The source takes the form of a thin 1 60-mm strip (in the case when a biasing potential is applied, 20 strips located in the focal plane of the collimator lens). When working with an extracted neutron beam, the strip is located at the maximum of the flux of thermal neutrons focused by a neutron guide. A version of the source has been developed which provides for measuring coincidences between conversion electrons and x- or 3,-rays. The neutron guide consists of two mirrors, sputtered with 58Ni, which are curved along an involute and focus the thermal neutrons from the reactor reflector onto the source. The neutron guide is positioned in an inclined reactor channel and the neutron-guide chamber is evacuated. The shield of the neutron guide ensures that radiations from the reactor are absorbed. The power supply for the prism and lenses provides programmed variation of the current in the range 0.5-30 A. Included in it is a fundamentally important part, a system for stabilizing the prism magnetic field which is based on the well-known method of rotating coils (see, for ex~mple, [5]). The method has been highly recommended for many beta spectrometers and provides a relative magnetic field instability of around 10 -5. The following basic factors prevent the stability from being increased: aging and temperature drift of the reference magnet; noise in the bearings and sliding contacts; aging, temperature drift, and differential nonlinearity of the measuring potentiometer. Special measures were taken when designing the stabilization system in order to reduce the influence of these factors. Thus, in order to reduce the influence of aging and temperature drift, the magnetic field in the reference electromagnet was stabilized by high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) which ensured a relative instability of the field in the gap of 10 -7. Such stability was achieved by forming the frequency applied to the NMR sensor in a Ch6-31 frequency synthesizer which guaranteed a long-term relative frequency instability of 10- s . The range of frequency variation is 7-23 MHz which corresponds to a variation of the magnetic induction in the reference magnet of 1650-5420 G. The signal-to-noise ratio in the NMR dispersion signal, for a line width of about 50 Hz, has a value near 300 at the output of the stabilization system. This makes it possible to ensure a relative instability of the signal frequency of the order of 10 - s on average over the range. The frequency synthesizer controls a computer which operates in accordance with a specified program of measurements. The combined power supply and magnetic field stabilization system of the reference electromagnet functions in the following way (see Fig. 3). The chosen frequency is applied to the NMR sensor located in the magnet gap where the magnetic induction is established. An automatic scanning system raises the field to the resonance conditions. The nuclear magnetic resonance signal appearing in the sensor is amplified by rf and If amplifiers. After passing through a phase sensitive detector, the NMR signal switches on the magnetic field stabilization unit and simultaneously disconnects the automatic scanning system. During the time when the frequency is being swept, a circuit tuning system continuously monitors the rf circuit of the sensor so as to ensure that it is tuned to the frequency of the synthesizer while measurements are being made. The magnetic field gradient near the sensor is a function of the magnet induction field. This dependence is compensated by automatically adjusting the currents in shimming coils. A special device was developed in order to reduce the influence of noise in the bearings and sliding contacts on the stability of the prism magnetic field (see Fig. 1). It consists of a double cantilever shaft (spindle) on gas bearings, differentially switched measuring coils positioned in the gaps of the magnetic prism and the reference magnet, and a rotating transformer. The latter is located between the magnets, its primary winding, mounted on the shaft, being switched into the measuring coil circuit and its secondary (stationary) winding serving to couple out the difference signal. The design features of the device are determined by the stringent requirements imposed on the permissible values of the radial wobble and axial displacement of the spindle (0.001 ram) and also by the long duration of continuous operation and considerable service life. The cantilever parts of the spindle, where the measuring coils are located, are made in the form of hollow alumina ceramic tubes. The measuring coils can be previously set so that their center lines of symmetry coincide. The gas bearings are pressurized when starting up 1005

Field (current) presetting sweep 6 kHz Magnetic field stabilizer monitor

I
6 kHz If oscillator Reference voltage .p [ ' FDI (resolution) i Magnetic field stabilization unit Reference voltage _ FD2 (stabilization) - I
!

NMR ~ signal

Output amplifier

Unit for field and frequency sweep, automatic scanning and stabilization switching -Computer

rf-tuning I signal Sensor circuit tuning unit

and switching sweep [

supply

Power

Band-pass amplifier 7-14 MHz, 14-23.5 MHz

Shim current and offset current control unit

circuit tuning Modulation current

NMR signal "I "~ ~! Sens_o_rs Pickup and 7-14 MHz. feedback 14-23.5 MHz coils

!
Electromagnet rack with stabilization-current dc amplifier and rectifiers ElecttQ-I Electromagnet ] magnet (main
Ch6-31

i
~rcq~.e~cyl
Ch6-54

current windings) [

syntheszier

Shim current control

,==J

V5-28 I

Current (field) monitoring [

Fig. 3. Block diagram of the NMR stabilizer for the field of the reference magnet. and ceasing operation, but in the operating regime at a rotational frequency of 133 rps the pressurization is switched off and gasdynamic suspension comes into force. The suspension components are made of alumina ceramic which is exceptionally hard and resistant to wear. The use of NMR stabilization ensures a relative instability of 10 -7 for the reference magnet field, and this is two orders of magnitude better than that achieved in previously used de magnets. Air bearings are employed in the mechanical system for rotating the measuring coils. Movable contacts, which were an insuperable source of noise, have been eliminated. Estimates indicate that the relative instability of the magnetic fieM in the prism is lower than 10 -6. Let us give some parameters of the beta spectrometer. Dispersions of 520, 300, and 160 cm correspond to solid angles of 0.1, 0.3, and 1% of 4~r and resolving powers, taking aberrations into account, of 3.4 x 10 -4, 6 x 10 -4, and 2 x 10 -3. The source is a 1 x 60-mm strip. The relative energy error is (2-5) x 10 -6. The energy range of the spectrometer is 0-2.5 MeV. The neutron flux on the source is 3 x 109 neutrons-cm-2-sec -1.

REFERENCES
.

2.

A. I. Egorov, A. A. Rodionov, A. S. Ryl'nikov, et al., Pis'ma Zh. Eksp. Teor. Fiz., 27, 514 (1978). A. A. Rodionov and L. P. Kabina, "The effect of hyperfine displacement of K conversion lines. Measurement of energy differences of K and L conversion lines in spectra ofl69yb and 19211, " Preprint No. 2128 [in Russian], St. Petersburg Institute of Nuclear Physics, Gatchina (1996).

1006

4. 5.

A. A. Rodionov and L. P. Kabina, Izv. Rossisk. Akad. Nauk Ser. Fiz., 60, No. 5, 126 (1996). Prism Beta Spectrometers, Pyargale, Vilnius, Lithuania (1971). W. Mampe, K. Schreckenbach, P. Jeuch, et al., Nuel. lnstrum. Methods, 154, 127 (1978).

1007