Experimental characterization of HOTNES: A new thermal neutron facility with large homogeneity area

详细信息    查看全文

• 作者：R. Bedogni^a ; ^{roberto.bedogni@lnf.infn.it} ; A. Sperduti^a ; ^b ; A. Pietropaolo^b ; ; M. Pillon^b ; A. Pola^c ; ^d ; J.M. G&oacute ; mez-Ros^a ; ^e
• 关键词：HOTNES ; Thermal neutrons ; Thermal neutron facility ; Neutron dosimetry ; Bonner spheres ; FRUIT ; Gold activation foils
• 刊名：Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
• 出版年：2017
• 出版时间：21 January 2017
• 年：2017
• 卷：843
• 期：Complete
• 页码：18-21
• 全文大小：478 K
• 卷排序：843

文摘

A new thermal neutron irradiation facility, called HOTNES (HOmogeneous Thermal NEutron Source), was established in the framework of a collaboration between INFN-LNF and ENEA-Frascati. HOTNES is a polyethylene assembly, with about 70 cmx70 cm square section and 100 cm height, including a large, cylindrical cavity with diameter 30 cm and height 70 cm. The facility is supplied by a 241Am-B source located at the bottom of this cavity. The facility was designed in such a way that the iso-thermal-fluence surfaces, characterizing the irradiation volume, coincide with planes parallel to the cavity bottom. The thermal fluence rate across a given isofluence plane is as uniform as 1% on a disk with 30 cm diameter. Thermal fluence rate values from about 700 cm−2 s−1 to 1000 cm−2 s−1 can be achieved. The facility design, previously optimized by Monte Carlo simulation, was experimentally verified. The following techniques were used: gold activation foils to assess the thermal fluence rate, semiconductor-based active detector for mapping the irradiation volume, and Bonner Sphere Spectrometer to determine the complete neutron spectrum. HOTNES is expected to be attractive for the scientific community involved in neutron metrology, neutron dosimetry and neutron detector testing.