• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제41권7호
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• pp.979-988
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• 2009

Tensioned metastable fluids provide a powerful means for low-cost, efficient detection of a wide range of nuclear particles with spectroscopic capabilities. Past work in this field has relied on one-component liquids. Pure liquids may provide very good detection capability in some aspects, such as low thresholds or large radiation interaction cross sections, but it is rare to find a liquid that is a perfect candidate on both counts. It was hypothesized that liquid mixtures could offer optimal benefits and present more options for advancement. However, not much is known about radiation-induced thermal-hydraulics involving destabilization of mixtures of tensioned metastable fluids. This paper presents results of experiments that assess key thermophysical properties of liquid mixtures governing fast neutron radiation-induced cavitation in liquid mixtures. Experiments were conducted by placing liquid mixtures of various proportions in tension metastable states using Purdue's centrifugally-tensioned metastable fluid detector (CTMFD) apparatus. Liquids chosen for this study covered a good representation of both thermal and fast neutron interaction cross sections, a range of cavitation onset thresholds and a range of thermophysical properties. Experiments were devised to measure the effective liquid mixture viscosity and surface tension. Neutron-induced tension metastability thresholds were found to vary non-linearly with mixture concentration; these thresholds varied linearly with surface tension and inversely with mixture vapor pressure (on a semi-log scale), and no visible trend with mixture viscosity nor with latent heat of vaporization.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제54권1호
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• pp.262-268
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• 2022

This paper introduces a novel concept of the pulsed neutron facility (PNF) for maximizing the production of the thermal neutrons and its application to medical use based on prompt gamma neutron activation analysis (PGNAA) using Monte Carlo simulations. The PNF consists of a compact D-T neutron generator, a graphite pile, and a detection system using Cadmium telluride (CdTe) detector arrays. The configuration of fuel pins in the graphite monolith and the design and materials for the moderating layer were studied to optimize the thermal neutron yields. Biological samples - normal and cancerous breast tissues - including chlorine, a trace element, were used to investigate the sensitivity of the characteristic γ-rays by neutron-trace material interactions and the detector responses of multiple particles. Around 90 % of neutrons emitted from a deuterium-tritium (D-T) neutron generator thermalized as they passed through the graphite stockpile. The thermal neutrons captured the chlorines in the samples, then the characteristic γ-rays with specific energy levels of 6.12, 7.80 and 8.58 MeV were emitted. Since the concentration of chlorine in the cancerous tissue is twice that in the normal tissue, the count ratio of the characteristic g-rays of the cancerous tissue over the normal tissue is approximately 2.

• 한국군사과학기술학회지
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• 제14권2호
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• pp.299-304
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• 2011

In this paper, we developed the semiconductor neutron radiation detector and the multi-purpose radiation detection technologies for the next generation military personal surveymeter. The PIN type semiconductor neutron detector and the prototype measure the neutron radiation dose upto 1,000cGy with ${\pm}20%$ error. It also have a good performance about the Gamma, Alpha and Beta radiation and MIL-STD-810F.

• 한국전기전자재료학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국전기전자재료학회 2003년도 춘계학술대회 논문집 기술교육전문연구회
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• pp.42-46
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• 2003

In this study, to measure the moisture of compaction, it is designed to use the 2neutron detectors. To perform the optimal design of their circuit, it is planned high voltage generator and voltage stable circuit and they are very suitable for detection demand. Also, it can be count to data calibration excluded count of ripple.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제55권9호
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• pp.3506-3513
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• 2023

In this paper, we demonstrate the neutron attenuation of dry cask shielding materials using the S670e helium-4 detector manufactured by Arktis Radiation Ltd. In particular, two materials expected to be applied to the TN-32 dry cask manufactured by ORANO Korea and KORAD-21 by the Korea Radioactive Waste Agency (KORAD) were utilized. The measured neutron attenuation was compared with our Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport simulation results, and the difference is given as the root mean square (RMS). For the fast neutron case, a rapid decline in neutron counts was observed as a function of increasing material thickness, exhibiting an exponential relationship. The discrepancy between the experimentally acquired data and simulation results for the fast neutron was maintained within a 2.3% RMS. In contrast, the observed thermal neutron count demonstrated an initial rise, attained a maximum value, and exhibited an exponential decline as a function of increasing thickness. In particular, the discrepancy between the measured and simulated peak locations for thermal neutrons displayed an RMS deviation of approximately 17.3-22.4%. Finally, the results suggest that a minimum thickness of 5 cm for Li-6 is necessary to achieve a sufficiently significant cross-section, effectively capturing incoming thermal neutrons within the dry cask.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제55권9호
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• pp.3121-3125
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• 2023

Neutron conversion detectors that use ¹⁰B-enriched boron carbide are feasible alternatives to ³He-based detectors. We prepared boron carbide films at micron-scale thickness using direct-current magnetron sputtering. The structural characteristics of natural B₄C films, including density, roughness, crystallization, and purity, were analyzed using grazing incidence X-ray reflectivity, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry, and scanning electron microscopy. A beam profile test was conducted to verify the practicality of the ¹⁰B-enriched B₄C neutron conversion layer. A clear profile indicated the high quality of the neutron conversion of the boron carbide layer.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제55권3호
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• pp.1021-1030
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• 2023

We propose an overall procedure for measuring and unfolding fast neutron spectra using a trans-stilbene scintillation detector. Detector characterization was described, including the information on energy calibration, detector resolution, and nonproportionality response. The digital charge comparison method was used for the investigation of neutron-gamma Pulse Shape Discrimination (PSD). A pair of values of 600 ns pulse width and 24 ns delay time was found as the optimized conditions for PSD. A fitting technique was introduced to increase the trans-stilbene Proton Response Function (PRF) by 28% based on comparison of the simulated and experimental electron-equivalent distributions by the Cf-252 source. The detector response matrix was constructed by Monte-Carlo simulation and the spectrum unfolding was implemented using the iterative Bayesian method. The unfolding of simulated and measured spectra of Cf-252 and AmBe neutron sources indicates reliable, stable and no-bias results. The unfolding technique was also validated by the measured cosmic-ray induced neutron flux. Our approach is promising for fast neutron detection and spectroscopy.

• 대한화학회지
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• 제5권1호
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• pp.26-28
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• 1961

Microgram quantities of thallirum in meteorites, rocks, minerals, alloys and biological samples have been analyzed by rapid neutron activation analysis. A l0-minute radiochemical separation procedure coupled with a gas-flow proportional detector for 4.2-minute half life measurement and a gamma or beta scintillation detector placed in close proximity to the sample permitted detection of the 4.2-min Tl206. Samples were irradiated for 10-minutes at a thermal neutron flux of approximately $0.95{\times}10^{11}$ neutron-$cm^{-2}-sec^{-1}.$ The low limits of detection was about $10^{-7}$ gm of thallium.

• 천문학회보
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• 제46권1호
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• pp.27.4-28
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• 2021

Since the first direct detection of the gravitational waves in 2015, more than 50 events coming from the merging of compact binaries composed of black holes and neutron stars have been observed. The simultaneous detection of gravitational waves and electromagnetics waves from the merging of neutron stars opened up multi-messenger astronomy. The forthcoming observations with better sensitivity by the network of ground based detectors will enrich the gravitational wave source populations and provide valuable information regarding stellar evolution, dynamics of dense stellar systems, and star formation history across the cosmic time. The precision of the Hubble constant from the distance measurement of gravitational sources will improve with more binary neutron star events are observed together with the aftweglows. I will also briefly cover the expected scientiic outcomes from the future detectors that are sensitive to much lower frequenies than current detectors.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제38권4호
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• pp.172-178
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• 2013

본 연구에서는 미래 파이로 시설에서의 핵물질 계량 연구를 위하여 개발하고 있는 통합비파괴측정장치(Unified Non-Destructive Assay, UNDA)의 중성자 검출 효율을 MCNPX 코드를 이용하여 평가하였다. 검출 효율 평가는 두 개의 다른 설계안의 UNDA에 대하여 수행되었으며, $^{252}Cf$ 중성자 발생 선원 위치에 따른 검출 효율 평가와 감손우라늄의 용기 두께 및 위치에 따른 검출 효율 평가를 수행하였다. $^{252}Cf$ 중성자 선원의 위치에 따른 UNDA의 검출 효율 결과는 6.83%부터 13.35%까지 분포로 나타났으며, $^{252}Cf$ 선원이 장치 내부의 상단에 위치할수록 검출 효율은 증가 후 감소하는 경향을 나타냈고, 선원이 외각에 위치될수록 효율이 증가하는 경향을 보였다. 감손우라늄 용기의 두께 및 위치에 따른 검출 효율 평가에서는 용기 두께가 증가할수록 검출 효율은 낮아지는 경향을 보이며, 용기 위치가 장치 상부에 위치될수록 효율은 감소하고, 외각에 위치할수록 효율은 증가하였다. 검출 효율은 $^{252}Cf$ 선원의 경우보다 약간 높게 나타났다(10.31~13.61%). 또한, 장치 상단에 고밀도 폴리에틸렌 덮개가 있는 설계안이 덮개가 없는 설계안 보다 평균적으로 약 2% 정도 중성자 검출 효율이 높은 것으로 평가되었다.