Report on the Status and Future Upgrades of the Facilities and Instruments in the JRR-3

Subcommittee for Neutron Beam Utilization; Status and Future Upgrades of the Facilities and Instruments

The refurbished JRR-3 reached critical in March 1990, and the facilities were opened to the general user program in June 1991. Since then the improved specification and the increase of the beam flux of JRR-3 made it recognized as one of the top four research reactors in the world. Despite the ten fruitful years of achievements in research activities performed at JRR-3, it is indispensable to continuously upgrade and improve research facilities in order to maintain our standard of excellence in the research activities. It is also important that the high intensity proton accelerator project (J-PARC project) is progressing in the same JAERI site. Under these circumstances surrounding the JRR-3 facility, a task force under the neutron beam utilization committee was formed in 2001 and assigned to recommend the necessary upgrade and improvements of reactor facilities as well as neutron scattering instruments in JRR-3. This report summarizes analysis and discussions carried out in the task force during these two years, and describes recommendations from the task force.