Absolute calibration of a total yield indium activation detector for DD and DT neutrons

Journal Article · Thu Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1992 · Review of Scientific Instruments; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1143541· OSTI ID:7271867

Ruiz, C L; Leeper, R J; Schmidlapp, F A ^[1]; Cooper, G ^[2]; Malbrough, D J ^[3]

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1. Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185 (United States)
2. University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87106 (United States)
3. General Electric Company (GEND), St. Petersburg, Florida 33733 (United States)

Progress in {ital Z}-pinch experiments at Sandia's Saturn facility have underscored a need for an absolute yield measurement for DD fusion neutrons. The technique chosen for making this absolute yield measurement was neutron activation of indium metal samples. To calibrate the technique, a 175-keV deuteron beam was allowed to impinge on a 3.0-{mu}m-thick erbium deuteride target, producing neutrons through the {sup 2}H({ital d},{ital n}){sup 3}He fusion reaction. The neutron flux produced at 0{degree} and incident on nominal 5-g indium samples was determined by the associated particle method. This method employed protons measured from the {sup 2}H({ital d},{ital p}){sup 3}H reaction to infer the neutron flux produced. After neutron irradiation, the activity of the indium samples was measured with a Ge gamma-ray detector. The total activity of the metastable state {sup 115{ital m}}In (336.23 keV) was measured, compared with the total incident flux, and a calibration factor (indium counts/neutron/gram of indium) determined. For completeness, a calibration factor for DT neutrons from the {sup 3}H({ital d},{ital n}){sup 4}He fusion reaction was also obtained through the measured activity of the metastable state {sup 114{ital m}}In(190.29 keV). The experiment and the measured calibration factors for both reactions are described in the paper.

• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 7271867
• Journal Information: Review of Scientific Instruments; (United States), Vol. 63:10; ISSN 0034-6748
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ACTIVATION DETECTORS
CALIBRATION
LINEAR Z PINCH DEVICES
PLASMA DIAGNOSTICS
NEUTRON DETECTION
DEUTERIUM TARGET
DEUTERON REACTIONS
FUSION YIELD
HEAVY ION FUSION REACTIONS
HELIUM 3
HELIUM 4
INDIUM
KEV RANGE 100-1000
NEUTRON FLUX
NEUTRONS
TRITIUM TARGET
BARYONS
CHARGED-PARTICLE REACTIONS
DETECTION
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ELEMENTS
ENERGY RANGE
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
FERMIONS
HADRONS
HELIUM ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
KEV RANGE
LIGHT NUCLEI
LINEAR PINCH DEVICES
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
METALS
NEUTRON DETECTORS
NUCLEAR REACTION YIELD
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
NUCLEI
NUCLEONS
OPEN PLASMA DEVICES
PINCH DEVICES
RADIATION DETECTION
RADIATION DETECTORS
RADIATION FLUX
STABLE ISOTOPES
TARGETS
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES
YIELDS
440103* - Radiation Instrumentation- Nuclear Spectroscopic Instrumentation
663440 - D-
T-
& He-induced Reactions & Scattering- (1992-)
663510 - Nuclear Mass Ranges- A=1-5- (1992-)
700320 - Plasma Diagnostic Techniques & Instrumentation- (1992-)