Measurements of the change of neutronic performance of a hydrogen moderator at Manuel Lujan Neutron Scattering Center due to conversion from ortho- to para-hydrogen state

The ortho/para-hydrogen ratio is a key parameter for the neutronic performance of a liquid hydrogen moderator. In order to get a better understanding of the influence that the ortho/para-hydrogen ratio has on the performance of such a moderator, we measured the neutronic performance of the partially coupled liquid-hydrogen moderator at the LANSCE Manuel Lujan Jr. Neutron Scattering Center, Los Alamos, USA, as a function of time after condensation. This was done by measuring the energy spectra and pulse shapes (neutron emission time distributions) of this moderator. It was found that the neutronic characteristic of the moderator changes with the elapsed time after condensation, and that the changes were so significant that for any scattering experiment made on such a moderator, the effect should be carefully evaluated.