Development of Texas intense positron source

The Texas Intense Positron Source (TIPS) is a reactor-based low-energy positron beam facility utilizing some novel techniques in positron beam production. This facility will be located at the University of Texas (UT) at Austin Nuclear Engineering Teaching Laboratory (NETL) and is being developed by UT Austin and UT Arlington researchers. TIPS will use a large area (total area of 900-1800 cm²) ⁶⁴Cu source to supply fast β⁺ particles for subsequent moderation to form an intense monoenergetic positron beam in the energy range of 0-50 keV with an expected intensity of 10⁸ e⁺/s. Natural copper will be neutron activated near the core of the NETL 1 MW TRIGA Mark II research reactor to produce the ⁶⁴Cu isotope. The activated source will be transported to the moderator/remoderator assembly, outside the biological shield of the reactor. This assembly combines the primary moderation and posterior remoderation of the fast β⁺ particles into one stage using solid Kr to produce a low-energy positron source of a few eV with a diameter of 8 mm. The low-energy positron beam is then extracted by an electrostatic modified SOA gun and after further acceleration to 5 keV, the beam is focused onto the object slit of a 90° bending magnet. After further focusing and another 90° bend, the beam enters the main accelerator/decelerator that transports the beam onto the target for experimentation. The components of TIPS have been manufactured and are currently being optimized. In this communication we present some of the details of the TIPS facility and furthermore briefly discuss its intended applications.