The DHS TC Standards and the consensus ANSI Standards use 252Cf as the neutron source for performance testing because its energy spectrum is similar to the 235U and 239Pu fission sources used in nuclear weapons. An emission rate of 20,000 ± 20% neutrons per second is used for testing of the radiological requirements both in the ANSI standards and the TCS. Determination of the accurate neutron emission rate of the test source is important for maintaining consistency and agreement between testing results obtained at different testing facilities. Several characteristics in the manufacture and the decay of the source need to be understood and accounted for in order to make an accurate measurement of the performance of the neutron detection instrument. Additionally, neutron response characteristics of the particular instrument need to be known and taken into account as well as neutron scattering in the testing environment.
Radev, Radoslav, and McLean, Thomas. Neutron Sources for Standard-Based Testing. United States: N. p., 2014.
Web. doi:10.2172/1184089.
Radev, Radoslav, & McLean, Thomas. Neutron Sources for Standard-Based Testing. United States. doi:10.2172/1184089.
Radev, Radoslav, and McLean, Thomas. Mon .
"Neutron Sources for Standard-Based Testing". United States.
doi:10.2172/1184089. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1184089.
@article{osti_1184089,
title = {Neutron Sources for Standard-Based Testing},
author = {Radev, Radoslav and McLean, Thomas},
abstractNote = {The DHS TC Standards and the consensus ANSI Standards use 252Cf as the neutron source for performance testing because its energy spectrum is similar to the 235U and 239Pu fission sources used in nuclear weapons. An emission rate of 20,000 ± 20% neutrons per second is used for testing of the radiological requirements both in the ANSI standards and the TCS. Determination of the accurate neutron emission rate of the test source is important for maintaining consistency and agreement between testing results obtained at different testing facilities. Several characteristics in the manufacture and the decay of the source need to be understood and accounted for in order to make an accurate measurement of the performance of the neutron detection instrument. Additionally, neutron response characteristics of the particular instrument need to be known and taken into account as well as neutron scattering in the testing environment.},
doi = {10.2172/1184089},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Nov 10 00:00:00 EST 2014},
month = {Mon Nov 10 00:00:00 EST 2014}
}