EURISOL-DS Multi-MWatt Hg Target: Neutron flux and fission rate calculations for the MAFF configuration

The EURISOL (The EURopean Isotope Separation On-Line Radioactive Ion Beam) project aims at producing high intensity radioactive ion beams produced by neutron induced fission on a fissile target (235U) surrounding a liquid mercury converter. A proton beam of 1 GeV and 4 MW impinges on the Hg converter generating by spallation reactions high neutron fluxes. In this work the state-of-the-art Monte Carlo codes MCNPX and FLUKA were used to assess the neutronics performance of the system which geometry, inspired from the MAFF concept, allows a versatile manipulation of the fission targets. The objective of the study was to optimize the geometry of the system and the materials used in the fuel and reflector elements of the system, in order to achieve the highest possible fission rate.