Predicting the sensitivity of the beryllium/scintillator layer neutron detector using Monte Carlo and experimental response functions

Journal Article · Sat Nov 15 00:00:00 EST 2014 · Review of Scientific Instruments

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4896176· OSTI ID:22303477

Cooper, G. W.; Carpenter, Ken; Bonura, M. A. ^[1]; Ruiz, C. L.; Hahn, K. D.; Chandler, G. A.; Nelson, A. J.; Torres, J. A.; McWatters, B. R. ^[2]

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1. Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131 (United States)
2. Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185 (United States)

A methodology for obtaining empirical curves relating absolute measured scintillation light output to beta energy deposited is presented. Output signals were measured from thin plastic scintillator using NIST traceable beta and gamma sources and MCNP5 was used to model the energy deposition from each source. Combining the experimental and calculated results gives the desired empirical relationships. To validate, the sensitivity of a beryllium/scintillator-layer neutron activation detector was predicted and then exposed to a known neutron fluence from a Deuterium-Deuterium fusion plasma (DD). The predicted and the measured sensitivity were in statistical agreement.

• OSTI ID: 22303477
• Journal Information: Review of Scientific Instruments, Vol. 85, Issue 11; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0034-6748
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ACTIVATION DETECTORS
BERYLLIUM
BETA SOURCES
DEUTERIUM
ENERGY ABSORPTION
GAMMA SOURCES
MONTE CARLO METHOD
NEUTRON DETECTORS
NEUTRON FLUENCE
PLASMA
PLASTIC SCINTILLATORS
RESPONSE FUNCTIONS
SCINTILLATIONS
SENSITIVITY