• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제55권11호
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• pp.4026-4031
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• 2023

In this article, we report a new empirical formula for quick calculation of cross sections of (n, α) reactions with 14-15 MeV neutrons. Cross sections are analysed in terms of the compound nucleus model. A systematic trend for 14-15 MeV neutrons is found in the variation of (n, α) reaction cross sections with the parameters (N - Z + 1), (E_n + Q)^0.5 and N/Z. The empirical relation between the cross sections and these parameters has been obtained, which give fairly good fits with the experimental data. We have also investigated the odd-even effects on (n, α) cross sections considering binding energy systematic of the shell model. The present formula is very useful in predicting of the (n, α) cross sections, where the measurements are not available as well as in testing new experimental data.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제6권4호
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• pp.219-230
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• 1974

강한 방향성이 있는 다결정에 의한 중성자회절강도에 대한 재래의 공식을 결정의 반사율에 관한 Kunitomi 의식을 사용하여 수정하였다. 시료내의 grain 에서 회절이 일어나는 정화한 위치가 회절강도의 Maxwell곡선의 소각부분에 관한 이론치와 계산치를 비교함으로써 발견된다는 사실과 위의 회절강도 공식을 사용하여 금속내의 Preferred orientation을 백색중성자를 가지고 조사한 수 있는 방법을 고안하였다. 결정 내에서 일어나는 중성자비 다중반사와 흡수에 대해서 교정하여 원자로의 중성자 스펙트럼을 측정함으로써 열중성자의 확실성있는 파장이 1.025$\pm$0.001$\AA$임을 알았다. 대부분 cube-on-face 방향을 갖인 씰리콘 강철을 본 연구방법으로 조사차였는바 grain들이 압연방향에서 5도 이내에 배열되어 있다는 사실을 발견하였다. 커다란 결정에 적합한 이론들이 강한 방향성이 있는 다결정 물체에도 적응될 수 있음을 알게 되었다.

• 한국의학물리학회지:의학물리
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• 제16권2호
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• pp.97-103
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• 2005

본 연구에서는 몬테칼로 계산(MCNPX 2.4.0)을 이용하여 24MV 의료용 선형가속기에서 발생하는 이차중성자의 에너지분포와 선량계산을 수행하였다. 먼저 선형가속기 두부(head)에서 방출되는 광자와 중성자의 에너지분포를 계산하였으며, 이를 이용하여 물팬텀에서 광자와 중성자의 흡수선량을 계산하였다. 몬테칼로 계산결과 물표면에서 5cm까지 중성자의 흡수선량은 $0.66\~0.35mGy/photon\;Gy$로 나타났으며, 상호작용 자료를 이용한 근사적 계산결과는 전자평형 깊이에서 0.52mGy/photon Gy로 나타났다. 다른 연구결과들과 비교를 통하여 본 연구가 고에너지 선형가속기에서 발생되는 중성 자의 선량평가에 응용될 수 있음을 제시하였다.

• 한국의학물리학회지:의학물리
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• 제27권3호
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• pp.162-168
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• 2016

Proton therapy is increasingly being actively used in the treatment of cancer. In contrast to photons, protons have the potential advantage of delivering higher doses to the cancerous tissue and lower doses to the surrounding normal tissue. However, a range shifter is needed to degrade the beam energy in order to apply the pencil beam scanning technique to tumors located close to the minimum range. The secondary neutrons are produced in the beam path including within the patient's body as a result of nuclear interactions. Therefore, unintended side effects may possibly occur. The research related to the secondary neutrons generated during proton therapy has been presented in a variety of studies worldwide, since 2007. In this study, we measured the magnitude of the secondary neutron dose depending on the location of the detector and the use of a range shifter at the beam nozzle of the proton scanning mode, which was recently installed. In addition, the production of secondary neutrons was measured and estimated as a function of the distance between the isocenter and detector. The neutron dose was measured using WENDI-II (Wide Energy Neutron Detection Instruments) and a Plastic Water phantom; a Zebra dosimeter and 4-cm-thick range shifter were also employed as a phantom. In conclusion, we need to consider the secondary neutron dose at proton scanning facilities to employ the range shifter reasonably and effectively.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제12권1호
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• pp.48-53
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• 1987

중성자 선원의 강도를 측정하기 위하여 흔히 황산망간용액조 방법이 사용되고 있다. 본 연구에서는 $^{55}Mn(n,{\gamma})^{56}Mn$ 반응에 도입되는 국산 $MnSO_4{\cdot}H_2O$(동양화학제품)중에 불순들 성분을 규명하기 위하여 Ar-ICP 플라즈마방출 분광계측에 의한 분석화학 방법이 사용되었다. 분석결과로부터 주로 Co, Zn과 미량의 Cd, Li 등이 관련 불순물로서 중성자를 흡수하는 것으로 판명되었으며 전체 불순물에 의한 중성자 흡수 비율은 $^{55}Mn$에 의하여 포획되는 중성자 수의 약 1.37%로 산정되었다.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제41권4호
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• pp.384-388
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• 2016

Background: For a verification of newly-developed neutron absorbers, one of guidelines on the qualification and acceptance of neutron absorbers is the neutron attenuation test. However, this approach can cause a problem for the qualifications that it cannot distinguish how the neutron attenuates from materials. Materials and Methods: In this study, an estimation method of neutron absorption performances for materials is proposed to detect both direct penetration and back-scattering neutrons. For the verification of the proposed method, MCNP simulations with the experimental system designed in this study were pursued using the polyethylene, iron, normal glass and the vitrified form. Results and Discussion: The results show that it can easily test neutron absorption ability using single absorber model. Also, from simulation results of single absorber and double absorbers model, it is verified that the proposed method can evaluate not only the direct thermal neutrons passing through materials, but also the scattered neutrons reflected to the materials. Therefore, the neutron absorption performances can be accurately estimated using the proposed method comparing with the conventional neutron attenuation test. Conclusion: It is expected that the proposed method can contribute to increase the reliability of the performance of neutron absorbers.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제42권1호
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• pp.48-55
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• 2017

Background: Simultaneous detection of neutrons and gamma rays have become much more practicable, by taking advantage of good gamma-ray discrimination properties using pulse shape discrimination (PSD) technique. Recently, we introduced a commercial CLYC system in Korea, and performed an initial characterization and simulation studies for the CLYC detector system to provide references for the future implementation of the dual-mode scintillator system in various studies and applications. Materials and Methods: We evaluated a CLYC detector with 95% $^6Li$ enrichment using various gamma-ray sources and a $^{252}Cf$ neutron source, with validation of our Monte Carlo simulation results via measurement experiments. Absolute full-energy peak efficiency values were calculated for gamma-ray sources and neutron source using MCNP6 and compared with measurement experiments of the calibration sources. In addition, behavioral characteristics of neutrons were validated by comparing simulations and experiments on neutron moderation with various polyethylene (PE) moderator thicknesses. Results and Discussion: Both results showed good agreements in overall characteristics of the gamma and neutron detection efficiencies, with consistent ~20% discrepancy. Furthermore, moderation of neutrons emitted from $^{252}Cf$ showed similarities between the simulation and the experiment, in terms of their relative ratios depending on the thickness of the PE moderator. Conclusion: A CLYC detector system was characterized for its energy resolution and detection efficiency, and Monte Carlo simulations on the detector system was validated experimentally. Validation of the simulation results in overall trend of the CLYC detector behavior will provide the fundamental basis and validity of follow-up Monte Carlo simulation studies for the development of our dual-particle imager using a rotational modulation collimator.

• 대한방사선기술학회지:방사선기술과학
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• 제39권1호
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• pp.89-97
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• 2016

선형가속기를 차폐하고 있는 콘크리트 차폐벽의 방사화 평가를 진행하기 위한 선행 연구로서 차폐벽이 받는 중 성자에 대한 특성을 평가하였다. 그 결과 차폐벽이 받는 중성자 평균 양은 생성된 광자 대비 10 MV 4.63E-7%, 15 MV 9.69E-6%, 20 MV 2.18E-5%의 발생비율을 보였으며, 이 중 반응단면적이 큰 열중성자의 비율은 대략 18 ~ 33%로 나타났다. 의료용 선형가속기의 경우 수년간 지속적으로 가동되기 때문에 중성자 생성 비율에 관계없이 누적으로 생성되는 중성자의 양은 무시할 수 없을 것이며, 이에 따른 방사선 치료실 차폐벽의 방사화 문제는 반드시 고려되어야 할 것이다.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제47권7호
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• pp.939-944
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• 2015

The calibration methods of neutron-measuring devices such as the neutron survey meter have advantages and disadvantages. To compare the calibration factors obtained by the shadow cone method and semi-empirical method, 10 neutron survey meters of five different types were used in this study. This experiment was performed at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI; Daejeon, South Korea), and the calibration neutron fields were constructed using a $^{252}Californium$ ($^{252}Cf$) neutron source, which was positioned in the center of the neutron irradiation room. The neutron spectra of the calibration neutron fields were measured by a europium-activated lithium iodide scintillator in combination with KAERI's Bonner sphere system. When the shadow cone method was used, 10 single moderator-based survey meters exhibited a smaller calibration factor by as much as 3.1-9.3% than that of the semi-empirical method. This finding indicates that neutron survey meters underestimated the scattered neutrons and attenuated neutrons (i.e., the total scatter corrections). This underestimation of the calibration factor was attributed to the fact that single moderator-based survey meters have an under-ambient dose equivalent response in the thermal or thermal-dominant neutron field. As a result, when the shadow cone method is used for a single moderator-based survey meter, an additional correction and the International Organization for Standardization standard 8529-2 for room-scattered neutrons should be considered.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제53권6호
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• pp.1964-1969
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• 2021

We developed a Dual-PPACs detector for fast neutron measurements that consists of two sets of PPAC: conventional PPAC and fission PPAC. A²³⁸U(U₃O₈) coating is placed in the fission PPAC's anode, which is used as the neutrons conversion layer. An experiment was performed to measure neutron time-of-flight (TOF) in which ²⁵²Cf spontaneous fission source was used. An excellent time resolution of 164ps has been observed at 6 mbar in isobutene gas. With the excellent time resolution of Dual-PPACs detector, exact neutron energy can be extracted from the timing measurement. The experimental detection efficiency was 1.9 × 10^-7, consistent with the efficiency of 2.5 × 10^-7 given by a Geant4 simulation. Ultimately, the results show that the Dual-PPACs detector is a suitable candidate for measuring fast neutrons in the future CiADS system.