• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
• /
• v.41 no.3
• /
• pp.185-190
• /
• 2016

Background: In order to measure neutron energy spectra, the conventional Bonner Sphere Spectrometers (BSS) are widely used. In this spectrometer, several measurements with different size Bonner spheres are required. Operators should, therefore, place these spheres in several times to a measurement point where radiation dose might be relatively high. In order to reduce this effort, novel neutron energy spectrometer using an onion-like single Bonner sphere was proposed in our group. This Bonner sphere has multiple sensitive spherical shell layers in the single sphere. In this spectrometer, a band-shaped thermal neutron detection medium, which consists of a LiF-ZnS mixed powder scintillator sheet and a wavelength-shifting (WLS) fiber readout, was looped to each sphere at equal angular intervals. Amount of LiF neutron converter is reduced near polar region, where the band-shaped detectors are concentrated, in order to uniform the directional sensitivity. The LiF-ZnS mixed powder has an advantage of extremely high light yield. However, since it is opaque, scintillation photons cannot be collect uniformly. This type of detector shows no characteristic shape in the pulse height spectrum. Subsequently, it is difficult to set the pulse height discrimination level. This issue causes sensitivity fluctuation due to gain instability of photodetectors and/or electric modules. Materials and Methods: In order to solve this problem, we propose to replace the LiF-ZnS mixed powder into a flexible and Transparent RUbber SheeT type $LiCaAlF_6$ (TRUST LiCAF) scintillator. TRUST LiCAF scintillator can show a peak shape corresponding to neutron absorption events in the pulse height spectrum. Results and Discussion: We fabricated the prototype detector with five sensitive layers using TRUST LiCAF scintillator and conducted basic experiments to evaluate the directional uniformity of the sensitivity. Conclusion: The fabricated detector shows excellent directional uniformity of the neutron sensitivity.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
• /
• v.38 no.3
• /
• pp.143-148
• /
• 2013

Operational nuclear facilities such as nuclear power plants and particle accelerators show various neutron spectra according to the type of facilities and specific position. Necessities of neutron dose management and neutron monitoring for radiation protection of radiation workers in such a kind of facilities have continuously increased in recent years. Bonner sphere spectrometers are widely used for measurement of neutron spectra. Data on response function of neutron detector, default neutron spectra and count rates of Bonner sphere spectrometer are required to obtain unfolded neutron spectra in specific workplaces. In this study, we carried out measurement of neutron spectra produced in MC50 cyclotron using Bonner sphere spectrometer with LiI scintillation detector. Additionally, we estimated quantitative data on neutron flux, mean neutron energy and ambient dose equivalent rate according to the incident proton energies and positions in MC50 cyclotron.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.55 no.10
• /
• pp.3591-3598
• /
• 2023

Photoneutron background spectroscopy observations at linac are essential for directing accelerator shielding and subtracting background signals. Therefore, we constructed a Bonner Sphere Spectrometer (BSS) system based on an array of BF₃ gas proportional counter tubes. Initially, the response of the BSS system was simulated using the MCNP5 code. Next, the response of the system was calibrated by using neutrons with energies of 2.86 MeV and 14.84 MeV. Then, the system was employed to measure the spectrum of the ²⁴¹Am-Be neutron source, and the results were unfolded by using the Gravel and EM algorithms. Using the validated system, the undesirable neutron spectrum of the 120 MeV electron linac was finally measured and acquired. In addition, it is demonstrated that the equivalent undesirable neutron dose at a distance of 3.2 m from the linac is 19.7 mSv/h. The results measured by the above methods could provide guidance for linac-related research.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
• /
• v.26 no.3
• /
• pp.243-248
• /
• 2001

Neutron reference fields of Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) for calibrating neutron measuring devices to be used in radiation workplace monitoring consist of two kinds of neutron spectra, the direct and the scattered neutron fields, which are produced by using radionuclide neutron sources, 252Cf and 241AmBe sources. Necessary parameters for calibration such as the anisotropy factor of each neutron source and the room-scattered fraction of some neutron surveymeters in the KAERI calibration facility were determined by calculation or measurement. Spectral measurement of scattered neutron fields were performed at each reference calibration point using a Bonner Multi-sphere Spectrometer (BMS) and the dosimetric quantities for calibration also estimated from the neutron energy spectra which were unfolded using the BUNKI code.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
• /
• v.41 no.3
• /
• pp.211-215
• /
• 2016

Background: The moderated neutron calibration fields using $^{241}Am$-Be sources and a graphite moderator have been constructed at the Facility of Radiation Standard (FRS) in the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA). Materials and Methods: The neutron spectra of the fields were evaluated by the Monte-Carlo calculations and measurements using the Bonner Multi-sphere Spectrometer. Results and Discussion: The fields have continuous neutron spectra from several MeV to thermal neutron energy, with fluence-averaged energies of 0.84 MeV and 0.60 MeV. Reference values of fluence rates and ambient/personal dose equivalent rates were determined from neutron spectra by measurements. Conclusion: Currently, the fields are available for calibration or performance test of neutron measuring instruments.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.61-70
• /
• 1992

Photon, neutron and beta radiation fields were measured at PWR plants which are the representative types of nuclear power plant operated in Korea. The photon energy spectra were measured at locations in the auxiliary building during operation period and in the containment vessel(C/V) during shutdown period using a portable gamma spectrometer with a HPGe detector. The distribution of average energy was found to range from 440 to 780 keV in the C/V and from 280 keV to 760 keV in the auxiliary building, respectively. The average neutron energy measured at the five locations around the operation deck in the C/V in operation using a BMSS (Bonner Multi-Sphere Spectrometer) ranged from 20 keV to 210 keV. A computer code, BUNKI was used to unfold the spectrum. The beta energy spectra in the C/V and in the auxiliary building in annual outage were determined using 14 smear samples taken from the highly contaminated areas. The analysis showed that the representative corrosion product, $^{60}Co$ made main contribution to the beta energy field.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.46 no.2
• /
• pp.273-280
• /
• 2014

The spectrum weighted responses of various detectors were calculated to provide guidance on the proper selection and use of survey instruments on the basis of their energy response characteristics on the neutron fields. To yield the spectrum weighted response, the detector response functions of 17 neutron-measuring devices were numerically folded with each of the produced calibration neutron spectra through the in-house developed software 'K-SWR'. The detectors' response functions were taken from the IAEA Technical Reports Series No. 403 (TRS-403). The reference neutron fields of 21 kinds with 2 spectra groups with different proportions of thermal and fast neutrons have been produced using neutrons from the $^{241}Am$-Be sources held in a graphite pile, a bare $^{241}Am$-Be source, and a DT neutron generator. Fluence-average energy ($E_{ave}$) varied from 3.8 MeV to 16.9 MeV, and the ambient-dose-equivalent rate [$H^*(10)/h$] varied from 0.99 to 16.5 mSv/h.