Neutron detection of the Triga Mark III reactor, using nuclear track methodology
- Instituto de Física, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Circuito de la Investigación Científica, Ciudad Universitaria. México, DF (Mexico)
- Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares (Mexico)
- Universidad Simón Bolivar, Laboratorio de Física Nuclear, Caracas (Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of)
Nuclear Track Methodology (NTM), based on the neutron-proton interaction is one often employed alternative for neutron detection. In this paper we apply NTM to determine the Triga Mark III reactor operating power and neutron flux. The facility nuclear core, loaded with 85 Highly Enriched Uranium as fuel with control rods in a demineralized water pool, provide a neutron flux around 2 × 10{sup 12} n cm{sup −2} s{sup −1}, at the irradiation channel TO-2. The neutron field is measured at this channel, using Landauer{sup ®} PADC as neutron detection material, covered by 3 mm Plexiglas{sup ®} as converter. After exposure, plastic detectors were chemically etched to make observable the formed latent tracks induced by proton recoils. The track density was determined by a custom made Digital Image Analysis System. The resulting average nuclear track density shows a direct proportionality response for reactor power in the range 0.1-7 kW. We indicate several advantages of the technique including the possibility to calibrate the neutron flux density measured at low reactor power.
- OSTI ID:
- 22488683
- Journal Information:
- AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 1671, Issue 1; Conference: 11. international symposium on radiation physics, Ciudad Juarez (Mexico), 4-6 Mar 2015; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0094-243X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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