The neutron irradiation module at the European Spallation Source ESS

The neutron Irradiation Module at the European Spallation Source will make use of the high intensity fast neutron spectrum to study the behaviour of the materials used in the facility, set within the ESS research and development program for the target station. By studying how these materials are affected by radiation, estimates of the material degradation in irrradiated bespoke samples will allow to optimise of the design and lifetime of regularly replaced target components. The general design and a set of results from the neutronics calculations, aimed at estimating proton and neutron flux distributions, displacement damage, heat deposition and activation for the radiological hazard analysis of the Irradiation Module, set within the Italian contributions to the ESS construction phase, are reported.