Izvestiya vuzov. Yadernaya Energetika

The peer-reviewed scientific and technology journal. ISSN: 0204-3327

Experimental determination of the induced activity in activation detectors of a complex geometric shape

7/09/2020 2020 - #02 Physics in nuclear power engineering

Ibragimov R.F. Kokorev Ya.A. Denisenko A.P. Ryabeva E.V. Samosadny V.T. Hasnaoui H.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.26583/npe.2020.2.14

UDC: 539.172.4

The paper presents the results of experimental determination of the induced activity in copper-/aluminum-based activation detectors when irradiated with neutrons with energy of about 14 MeV. The activation detectors were square-shaped metal plates with a thickness from 1.0 to 1.5 mm and a side size about 5.0 cm. Such samples require a specific method for measuring the induced activity, which will take into account large sizes of the plate relate to the size of gamma-detector or neutron source. The detectors described in this work can be used to study low-intensity neutron fluxes (with a flux density of up to 106 n/cm2⋅s). It is shown that, when working with such detectors, the usual methods for calculating the induced activity in thin activation detectors are applicable, with corrections that take into account the emerging features of the “neutron source – activation detector” and “activation detector – secondary radiation detector” geometries. The effects of absorption of primary and secondary radiation by the detector substance are also revealed.

The Geant4 tools were used to calculate the geometric factors and theoretical induced activity value. The study confirms the applicability of such activation detectors for solving the problem of determining the yield of neutrons with energy of about 14 MeV from a neutron generator target. The results of the experiments coincide, within the margin of error, with the results of simulations performed using the Geant4 tools.

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activation detectors neutron radiation induced activity mathematical simulation Geant4 geometric factor

Link for citing the article: Ibragimov R.F., Kokorev Ya.A., Denisenko A.P., Ryabeva E.V., Samosadny V.T., Hasnaoui H. Experimental determination of the induced activity in activation detectors of a complex geometric shape. Izvestiya vuzov. Yadernaya Energetika. 2020, no. 2, pp. 156-167; DOI: https://doi.org/10.26583/npe.2020.2.14 (in Russian).