The recent upgrades of the pulsed #Neutron Time-of-flight (#n_TOF) facility enabled the setup of new #irradiation stations with neutron-dominated fluxes inside and outside of the target radiation shielding: the #NEAR irradiation stations for #materials and #electronics respectively.    

Mixed field total ionizing dose (#TID) in air of the order of 1-2 MGy per year are expected inside of the shielding, which is ideal for the study of degradation of polymeric #materials in operation-like conditions. Samples of lubricant and elastomers were installed in the pilot group due to their critical importance for reliability of Beam Intercepting Devices.   The position outside of the shielding provides a High-energy hadron (#HEH) equivalent fluence in the order of 4.6 e7 n/cm2/pulse which is particularly interesting for testing the #electronics to be deployed in high-energy neutron dominated areas such as the LHC tunnels and adjacent alcoves. At this first stage, in order to confirm the expected fluxes, Single Event Upset (#SEU) and Single Event Latch-up (#SEL) sensitive #SRAMs have been placed at #NEAR. Thanks to previous characterizations of these memories in different neutron sources they will provide measurements of the HEH fluxes for different intensities of the #n_TOF beam.  

The pilot irradiation started on the 19th of July with the restart of the #n_TOF facility, with results expected this Autumn for electronics, and in Spring 2022 for materials.   

Many thanks to the whole #NEAR team for their valuable contributions!