Response functions of a BC501 scintillation detector for neutrons up to 41 MeV. Final report, March 1985-December 1987

Technical Report · Wed Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:5860875

Kiziah, R R; Snell, M P

Using time-of-flight and pulse-shape discrimination techniques, the response functions of a 5-cm-long by 5-cm diam BC501 liquid organic scintillation detector were measured for nearly monoenergetic neutrons at 43 energies between 2 and 41 MeV. Absolute normalization of the neutron pulse-height distributions for energies less than 31 MeV was performed by matching the largest pulse-height regions, the proton-recoil plateaus, of the distributions to Monte Carlo calculations of the detector response. The remaining distributions were normalized through comparison of experimental and calculated integral efficiencies. The 32 BC501 neutron response functions at energies between 2 and 22 MeV agree well with published response functions of a 4.60-cm-long by 4.65-cm-diam NE213 scintillation detector when simple corrections are applied for differences in density, composition, size, and normalizing cross-sectional area between the detectors. This set of BC501 response functions is to be used for construction of a detailed response matrix for unfolding neutron pulse-height distributions up to energies of 41 MeV. With simple scale adjustments, the response functions can also be used for unfolding pulse-height distributions acquired with an equal-sized NE213 scintillation detector.

• Research Organization: Air Force Weapons Lab., Kirtland AFB, NM (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5860875
• Report Number(s): AD-A-207768/3/XAB; AFWL-TR-88-33
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

440101* -- Radiation Instrumentation-- General Detectors or Monitors & Radiometric Instruments
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
CORRECTIONS
DISTRIBUTION
DOCUMENT TYPES
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
ENERGY RANGE
EQUIPMENT
FUNCTIONS
LIQUID SCINTILLATION DETECTORS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MEV RANGE
MEV RANGE 01-10
MEV RANGE 10-100
MONTE CARLO METHOD
NEUTRON DETECTORS
PROGRESS REPORT
PULSE ANALYZERS
RADIATION DETECTORS
RESPONSE FUNCTIONS
SCINTILLATION COUNTERS
TIME-OF-FLIGHT METHOD