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Title: Experimental verification of a method to create a variable energy neutron beam from a monoenergetic, isotropic source using neutron elastic scatter and time of flight

Abstract

An experiment was performed to determine the neutron energy of near-monoergetic deuterium–deu-terium (D–D) neutrons that elastically scatter in a hydrogenous target. The experiment used two liquid scintillators to perform time of flight (TOF) measurements to determine neutron energy, with the start detector also serving as the scatter target. The stop detector was placed 1.0 m away and at scatter angles of Ď€/6, Ď€/4, and Ď€/3 rad, and 1.5 m at a scatter angle of Ď€/4 rad. When discrete 1 ns increments were implemented, the TOF peaks had estimated errors between 21.2 and 3.6% relative to their expected locations. Full widths at half-maximum (FWHM) ranged between 9.6 and 20.9 ns, or approximately 0.56–0.66 MeV. Monte Carlo simulations were also conducted that approximated the experimental setup and had both D–D and deuterium–tritium (DT) neutrons. The simulated results had errors between -17.2 and 0.0% relative to their expected TOF peaks when 1 ns increments were applied. The largest D–D and D–T FWHMs were 26.7 and 13.7 ns, or approximately 0.85 and 4.98 MeV, respectively. These values, however, can be reduced through manipulation of the dimensions of the system components. Lastly, the results encourage further study of the neutron elastic scatter TOF system withmore » particular interest in application to active neutron interrogation to search for conventional explosives.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1]
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  1. Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States). Dept. of Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
OSTI Identifier:
1367674
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1359661
Grant/Contract Number:  
NA0002534
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 827; Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 0168-9002
Publisher:
Elsevier
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY; Neutron elastic scatter; Time of flight; Explosives; Narcotics; Monte Carlo; Neutron generator

Citation Formats

Whetstone, Zachary D., Flaska, Marek, and Kearfott, Kimberlee J. Experimental verification of a method to create a variable energy neutron beam from a monoenergetic, isotropic source using neutron elastic scatter and time of flight. United States: N. p., 2016. Web. doi:10.1016/j.nima.2016.04.084.
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Whetstone, Zachary D., Flaska, Marek, & Kearfott, Kimberlee J. Experimental verification of a method to create a variable energy neutron beam from a monoenergetic, isotropic source using neutron elastic scatter and time of flight. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2016.04.084
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Whetstone, Zachary D., Flaska, Marek, and Kearfott, Kimberlee J. Sat . "Experimental verification of a method to create a variable energy neutron beam from a monoenergetic, isotropic source using neutron elastic scatter and time of flight". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2016.04.084. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1367674.
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@article{osti_1367674,
title = {Experimental verification of a method to create a variable energy neutron beam from a monoenergetic, isotropic source using neutron elastic scatter and time of flight},
author = {Whetstone, Zachary D. and Flaska, Marek and Kearfott, Kimberlee J.},
abstractNote = {An experiment was performed to determine the neutron energy of near-monoergetic deuterium–deu-terium (D–D) neutrons that elastically scatter in a hydrogenous target. The experiment used two liquid scintillators to perform time of flight (TOF) measurements to determine neutron energy, with the start detector also serving as the scatter target. The stop detector was placed 1.0 m away and at scatter angles of π/6, π/4, and π/3 rad, and 1.5 m at a scatter angle of π/4 rad. When discrete 1 ns increments were implemented, the TOF peaks had estimated errors between 21.2 and 3.6% relative to their expected locations. Full widths at half-maximum (FWHM) ranged between 9.6 and 20.9 ns, or approximately 0.56–0.66 MeV. Monte Carlo simulations were also conducted that approximated the experimental setup and had both D–D and deuterium–tritium (DT) neutrons. The simulated results had errors between -17.2 and 0.0% relative to their expected TOF peaks when 1 ns increments were applied. The largest D–D and D–T FWHMs were 26.7 and 13.7 ns, or approximately 0.85 and 4.98 MeV, respectively. These values, however, can be reduced through manipulation of the dimensions of the system components. Lastly, the results encourage further study of the neutron elastic scatter TOF system with particular interest in application to active neutron interrogation to search for conventional explosives.},
doi = {10.1016/j.nima.2016.04.084},
journal = {Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment},
number = C,
volume = 827,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Apr 23 00:00:00 EDT 2016},
month = {Sat Apr 23 00:00:00 EDT 2016}
}
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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2016.04.084
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