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A Novel Method for Determination of Equivalence Factor of External Neutron Source to Fundamental-Mode Source

Journal Article · · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society
OSTI ID:22991949
;  [1]
  1. Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, CAEP, Mianyang, 621900 (China)
External neutron sources, such as {sup 252}Cf source, D-T source, D-D source or Am-Be source, are often used in the startup and operation of reactors and in some physics experiments like pulsed neutron method in accelerator-driven- subcritical systems (ADS). Due to the difference of spectra and space distributions between various sources, some crucial characteristics of the reactor are significantly different. In the research of neutron initiation probability, the pulse initial time is strongly dependent on the neutron importance of external source neutrons. It is necessary to find a standard measure to evaluate the effect of different sources. G. D. Spriggs proposed the concept of equivalent fundamental-mode source and established the equivalent relationship of any sources to the fundamental- mode source of the reactor with the converter factor g*, which was the ratio of neutron multiplication of the external source to that of the fundamental source. The method by G. D. Spriggs considered the effect of delayed neutrons. In this paper, a new method based on analysis of prompt neutron time distribution is presented and a new parameter is defined, which differs from g* in that delayed neutrons are not considered. The method to determine the equivalence factor of external source neutrons to the reactor fundamental mode source neutrons based on the time distribution of prompt neutron time distribution was presented. Currently the method has been realized in calculation and next we will implement the methodology in experiments after the absolute efficiencies of the neutron detectors are calibrated. (authors)
OSTI ID:
22991949
Journal Information:
Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 114; ISSN 0003-018X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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