Baseline design of a low energy neutron source at ESS-Bilbao

This article briefly describes the basic design of the ESS-Bilbao neutron target station as well as its expected neutronic performance. The baseline engineering design, associated ancillary systems, and plant layout for the facility is now complete. A rotating target composed of twenty beryllium plates has been selected as the best choice in terms of both neutron yield and engineering complexity. It will provide neutron beams with a source term of 10¹⁵ n s⁻¹ resulting from the direct ⁹Be(p, xn) reaction using a 75 mA proton beam at 50 MeV. The design envisages a target station equipped with two fully optimized moderators capable of withstanding a proton-beam power of 112 kW. This design is flexible enough to accommodate future upgrades in final proton energy. The envisaged neutron-beam brightness will enable several applications, including the use of cold and thermal neutrons for condensed matter research as well as fast-neutron irradiation studies. We close by discussing the role that this facility may play once the European Spallation Source becomes operational in Lund, Sweden.