CIF Vertical Dry Tube

The central irradiation facility (CIF) vertical dry tube consists of a 1.3-inch inner-diameter dry tube that extends from above the reactor pool down into the central grid position of the core, in which the dry tube is surrounded by a water‑filled flux trap that boosts thermal flux. This facility has the highest available flux at the OSURR, with a maximum total flux of ~2x1013 n/cm2/s, and a maximum thermal flux of ~1x1013 n/cm2/s. See the facility fluxes page for the present values for total and thermal flux.

The CIF is often used for irradiating small samples using pure quartz irradiation baskets, although other experiments can be performed using the CIF, such as in-situ testing of fiber-optic based detectors.

Notes for experimenters:

  • The CIF has high reactivity worth, so strong neutron absorbers cannot be put there.
  • The CIF is used for regular testing, so it cannot be tied up with an experiment for long periods of time ≈ 1 week.

CIF sample basket
CIF sample basket