Precise Intensity Measurements in the 14N(n, γ)15N Reaction as a γ-Ray Intensity Standard up to 11MeV

The main γ-ray intensities in the ¹⁴N(n, γ)¹⁵N reaction were determined at an accuracy of 0.3–1.0% based on the intensity balance principle. Measurements were performed at the supermirror neutron guide tube at the Kyoto University reactor (KUR). A liquid nitrogen target and a deuterated melamine (C₃D₆N₆) one were used. We prepared a full-energy-peak efficiency curve by combining the measured and calculated efficiency curves. The previous values widely used as intensity standards agreed with the present results within 4–5% in the 2–11 MeV region, but the ratio to the present values showed a monotonic decrease with the increase in _-ray energy. The results reported by Belgya in 2006 agreed with the present one within 2–3% in the 2–8MeV region; nevertheless, the ratio showed a small oscillation versusγ-ray energy.     

Measurement of thermal neutron cross-section and resonance integral for the Ho(n,γ)Ho reaction using electron linac-based neutron source

The thermal neutron cross-section and the resonance integral of the ¹⁶⁵Ho(n,γ)^166gHo reaction have been measured by the activation method using a ¹⁹⁷Au(n,γ)¹⁹⁸Au monitor reaction as a single comparator. The high-purity natural Ho and Au foils with and without a cadmium shield case of 0.5 mm thickness were irradiated in a neutron field of the Pohang neutron facility. The induced activities in the activated foils were measured with a calibrated p-type high-purity Ge detector. The correction factors for the γ-ray attenuation (F_g), the thermal neutron self-shielding (G_th), the resonance neutron self-shielding (G_epi) effects, and the epithermal neutron spectrum shape factor (α) were taken into account. The thermal neutron cross-section for the ¹⁶⁵Ho(n,γ)^166gHo reaction has been determined to be 59.7 ± 2.5 barn, relative to the reference value of 98.65 ± 0.09 barn for the ¹⁹⁷Au(n,γ)¹⁹⁸Au reaction. By assuming the cadmium cut-off energy of 0.55 eV, the resonance integral for the ¹⁶⁵Ho(n,γ)^166gHo reaction is 671 ± 47 barn, which is determined relative to the reference value of 1550 ± 28 barn for the ¹⁹⁷Au(n,γ)¹⁹⁸Au reaction. The present results are, in general, good agreement with most of the previously reported data within uncertainty limits.     

Measurement of photo-neutron cross-sections in Pb and Bi with 50-70 MeV bremsstrahlung

The photo-neutron cross-sections of ²⁰⁸Pb and ²⁰⁹Bi induced by 50-70 MeV bremsstrahlung have been measured by using the off-line γ-ray spectrometric technique in the electron linac at the Pohang Accelerator Laboratory. The experimental ²⁰⁸Pb(γ,xn) and the ²⁰⁹Bi(γ,xn) reactions cross-sections at the bremsstrahlung energy region of 50-70 MeV, which are determined for the first time, are in general good agreement with the theoretical values based on the TALYS 1.0 code. We observed that the photo-neutron cross-sections for the (γ,xn) reactions of ²⁰⁹Bi and ²⁰⁸Pb increase with increasing of bremsstrahlung energy from 50 to 70 MeV, which indicates the role of excitation energy. It was also observed that the (γ,xn) reaction cross-sections of the doubly magic shell nuclei ₈₂Pb¹²⁶ are always higher than those of the singly magic shell nuclei ₈₃Bi¹²⁶ in the bremsstrahlung energy of 50-70 MeV. This may be due to the fact that either the shell effect are washed out at the higher excitation energy or due to the lower fission cross-section of ²⁰⁸Pb compared to that of ²⁰⁹Bi. This observation indicates that there is a competition reaction between fission and neutron emission.     

Chemical Effects of Radiation Emitted from 10B(n, γ)7Li Reaction on Mixture of n-Propylamine and n-Propanol

The long term variation of the mean dose due to natural radiation in Japan received by an individual person was investigated. The mean exposure rate in each prefecture obtained by in-situ measurements was adopted as a basis of the radiation level. Population data were taken from both the resident registration and the census taking into account the essential difference of their meanings. It was revealed that the per capita dose due to outdoor natural radiaiton in Japan has been decreasing in the last approximate 30 yr. It will be due to the population movement from countrysides towards urban areas. That is because countrysides generally consist of stable mountainlands where granitic rocks distribute though urban areas generally consist of alluvial plains where volcanic ash or humus dominates. Although the contribution of low radiation level (below 9.0μR/h) areas to the nation-wide collective dose still remains under 50%, its relative importance has certainly been increasing in the last three decades. It is expected that human population will be the dominating factor which eventually controls the mean dose due to natural radiation in Japan.     

Application of a 6LiF Small Neutron Detector with an Optical Fiber to Tritium Production Rate Measurement in D-T Neutron Fields

⁶LiF small neutron detectors with an optical fiber have been used to measure ⁶Li(n,α)T reaction rate distributions at thermal research reactors and accelerator facilities. In the present study, we developed an experimental method for the measurement of tritium production rate (TPR) of ⁶Li using this small detector in deuterium-tritium (D-T) neutron fields. Reaction rate measurements with the detector were conducted in the D-T neutron fields at the Fusion Neutronics Source (FNS) facility. From the results, we determined that this detector can be used to measure the TPR distribution in soft neutron spectrum fields such as in a Be assembly. It is difficult to obtain ⁶Li(n,α)T reaction rate separately in hard neutron spectrum fields such as in a Li₂O assembly, because many kinds of charged particle production reactions need to be taken into consideration. However, a time-dependent reaction rate measurement method combined with the ⁶LiF detector and the ZnS detector is effective to separate the ⁶Li(n,α)T reaction from other reactions even in a hard spectrum field, and it can be applied to the measurement of the TPR distribution accurately.     

Trend in criticality calculation results of borated-water-moderation experimental cores relating to 10B(n, α) cross section

ABSTRACT

In connection with the accuracy of the ¹⁰B(n, α) cross section in the thermal- and epithermal-neutron energy regions, criticality calculation results were examined for six benchmark sets of light-water-moderation critical experiments of UO₂ and MOX fuel lattice cores with un-borated and borated water. Two of the benchmark sets were those implemented in the Tank-Type Critical Assembly (TCA). The others were taken from the International Handbook of Evaluated Criticality Safety Benchmark Experiments (ICSBEP), and the International Handbook of Evaluated Reactor Physics Benchmark Experiments (IRPhEP). The enrichments of the UO₂ fuel range from 1.9 wt% to 2.6 wt%, and the Pu contents of the MOX fuel do from 2.0 to 6.6 wt%. The boron concentrations in water are up to 1511 ppm. The effective neutron multiplication factors (k_eff ) were taken from the published documents. They were calculated with continuous-energy Monte Carlo calculation codes in combination with JENDL-4.0, and other evaluated nuclear data libraries. It was confirmed that the k_eff values of the critical cores increased with the boron concentrations, which indicates that the ¹⁰B(n, α) cross section in the thermal- and epithermal-neutron energy regions should be larger than those in JENDL-4.0 and other libraries.