  A compact Liquid-Lithium Target (LiLiT) was built and tested with a
high-power electron gun at Soreq Nuclear Research Center. The lithium target,
to be bombarded by the high-intensity proton beam of the Soreq Applied Research
Accelerator Facility (SARAF), will constitute an intense source of neutrons
produced by the 7Li(p,n)7Be reaction for nuclear astrophysics research and as a
pilot setup for accelerator-based Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT). The
liquid-lithium jet target acts both as neutron-producing target and beam dump
by removing the beam thermal power (>5 kW, >1 MW/cm3) with fast transport. The
target was designed based on a thermal model, accompanied by a detailed
calculation of the 7Li(p,n) neutron yield, energy distribution and angular
distribution. Liquid lithium is circulated through the target loop at ~200oC
and generates a stable 1.5 mm-thick film flowing at a velocity up to 7 m/s onto
a concave supporting wall. Electron beam irradiation demonstrated that the
liquid-lithium target can dissipate electron power areal densities of > 4
kW/cm2 and volume power density of ~ 2 MW/cm3 at a lithium flow of ~4 m/s while
maintaining stable temperature and vacuum conditions. The LiLiT setup is
presently in online commissioning stage for high-intensity proton beam
irradiation (1.91- 2.5 MeV, 1-2 mA) at SARAF.
