Tests of the Prototype Chamber of the Cryogenic Moderator of the DARIA Compact Neutron Source

We present experimental results on the loading/unloading working fluid of the cryogenic moderator of a DARIA compact neutron source. A technology for loading liquid nonirradiated mesitylene into a specially designed prototype of the cryogenic moderator chamber and a technology for unloading irradiated mesitylene with a different absorbed dose of ionizing radiation are proposed and experimentally validated. During the experiments, the chamber prototype worked flawlessly in conditions as close as possible to real operating conditions of the cryogenic moderator of a compact neutron source.