Nuclear Engineering and Technology

Korean Nuclear Society (한국원자력학회)
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Measurement of undesirable neutron spectrum in a 120 MeV linac

  • Yihong Yan (School of Nuclear Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University) ;
  • Xinjian Tan (State Key Laboratory of Intense Plused Radiation Simulation and Effect, Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology) ;
  • Xiufeng Weng (State Key Laboratory of Intense Plused Radiation Simulation and Effect, Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology) ;
  • Xiaodong Zhang (State Key Laboratory of Intense Plused Radiation Simulation and Effect, Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology) ;
  • Zhikai Zhang (School of Applied Physics, Xi'an Jiaotong University) ;
  • Weiqiang Sun (School of Nuclear Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University) ;
  • Guang Hu (School of Nuclear Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University) ;
  • Huasi Hu (School of Nuclear Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University)
  • Received : 2023.02.25
  • Accepted : 2023.06.13
  • Published : 2023.10.25
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Abstract

Photoneutron background spectroscopy observations at linac are essential for directing accelerator shielding and subtracting background signals. Therefore, we constructed a Bonner Sphere Spectrometer (BSS) system based on an array of BF3 gas proportional counter tubes. Initially, the response of the BSS system was simulated using the MCNP5 code. Next, the response of the system was calibrated by using neutrons with energies of 2.86 MeV and 14.84 MeV. Then, the system was employed to measure the spectrum of the 241Am-Be neutron source, and the results were unfolded by using the Gravel and EM algorithms. Using the validated system, the undesirable neutron spectrum of the 120 MeV electron linac was finally measured and acquired. In addition, it is demonstrated that the equivalent undesirable neutron dose at a distance of 3.2 m from the linac is 19.7 mSv/h. The results measured by the above methods could provide guidance for linac-related research.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This work is supported by the NSAF Joint Fund set up by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Chinese Academy of Engineering Physics under Grant (U1830128); the Foundation of Key Laboratory of Nuclear Reactor System Design Technology, Chinese Academy of Nuclear Power; and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 11975182).

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