Commissioning of the 1 MW spallation neutron source SINQ

First beam tests were carried out successfully on the spallation neutron source SINQ at Switzerland´s Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI) in December 1996. SINQ is driven by the PSI 590 MeV isochronous cyclotron which is now operating routinely at a current level around 1.5 mA. After running at 20 μA for several hours to enable radiation surveys and neutron beam measurements on December 3, the current was raised in steps to its maximum value within 3.5 hours on December 4, making the power on SINQ the highest one ever reached on a spallation target so far. The tests allowed measurements of neutron and gamma radiation levels around and in the extracted neutron beams and guides and included beam transport studies in the new section of the proton beam line. At the same time the whole target system including its cold neutron moderator was tested successfully