Neutron production with a 10 kW HiCANS based on SATELIT, a CEA-Saclay target with liquid lithium

High-current accelerator-driven neutron sources (HiCANS) are currently under development across Europe to address the shortage of medium-scale neutron sources, as many research nuclear reactors have been decommissioned over the past several years. At CEA-Saclay, a HiCANS has been developed utilizing the IPHI accelerator, which delivers a 3 MeV proton beam with a current of up to 100 mA, and the CEA-Saclay liquid lithium target named SATELIT . In 2024–2025, a successful experimental campaign was conducted, during which a 10 kW proton beam was directed at the liquid lithium target for nearly 100 h to generate neutrons via the 7 Li (p,n)⁷Be Li ( p , n ) 7 Be nuclear reaction. Throughout the experimental campaign, a total deposited beam power of 840 kW.h was accumulated, including two continuous operational days exceeding 11 h each. A polyethylene moderator coupled with SATELIT enabled the extraction of a thermal neutron beam, with a flux measured at 1.4 m from the extraction point exceeding 10⁶ 10 6 n. cm⁻²· s⁻¹ cm - 2 · s - 1 , which is sufficient for numerous neutron applications. The next step for the long-term operation of this facility involves developing strategies to mitigate the radiological concerns associated with the accumulation of 7 Be within the system. Overall, this work demonstrates that such facilities can play a significant role in the future of medium-scale neutron sources in Europe.