• 대한방사선기술학회지:방사선기술과학
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• 제36권2호
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• pp.165-173
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• 2013

본 연구는 몬테카를로 시뮬레이션을 이용하여 양성자 빔을 피사체에 조사했을 때 발생되는 양성자, 즉발감마선 그리고 양성자 유발 중성자의 3차원적 공간분포를 polymer gel 선량계를 통해 구하고, 이를 물 팬텀에서 조사한 결과와 비교하여 3차원적 선량 분포의 정확성에 대해 알아보고자 한다. 본 연구에서 사용 된 polymer gel 선량계는 Gelatin, Methacrylic acid, Hydroquinone, Tetrakis 그리고 증류수로 이루어진 혼합물로 그 밀도는 $1.04g/cm^3$으로 물의 밀도인 $0.9998g/cm^3$과 유사하다. 본 시뮬레이션에서는 72 MeV, 116 MeV, 140 MeV 의 양성자 빔이 사용되었다. 양성자 빔은 팬텀의 핵과 반응을 하고 양성자 빔으로 인해 여기된 핵이 다시 안정하게 되기 위해 즉발감마선 그리고 양성자 유발 중성자를 방출한다. 양성자와 즉발감마선 그리고 양성자 유발 중성자는 polymer gel 선량계와 물 팬텀에서 각각 검출하였다. 3차원적 선량 분포를 얻기 위한 검출 간격은 2 mm로 하여 선량 분포를 획득하였다. Polymer gel 선량계에서의 양성자의 Bragg-peak를 구해 본 결과 Bragg-peak 지점이 물 팬텀에서의 경우와 유사하게 나타남을 확인 할 수 있었다. 72 MeV, 116 MeV, 그리고 140 MeV의 양성자 빔을 polymer gel 그리고 물 팬텀에 조사했을 때 그 내부에서의 양성자 그리고 즉발감마선의 선량 분포는 polymer gel, 물 팬텀 각각 유사한 선량분포를 가짐을 감마 인덱스 평가로 확인 할 수 있었다. 하지만 양성자 유발 중성자의 경우 물 팬텀에서는 검출이 된 반면 polymer gel 선량계에서는 검출이 되지 않았다. Polymer Gel 선량계는 3차원적 선량 분포를 얻는데 유용한 선량계이지만 양성자 조사 시 그 유발 중성자의 검출에는 한계를 보임을 확인할 수 있었다.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제53권11호
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• pp.3784-3789
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• 2021

We report a simple technique for direct neutron spectroscopy using pure LaCl₃ crystals. Pure LaCl₃ crystals exhibit considerably better pulse shape discrimination (PSD) capabilities with relatively good energy resolution as compared with Ce-doped LaCl₃ crystals. Single crystals of pure and Ce-doped LaCl₃ were grown using an inhouse-developed Bridgman furnace. PSD capabilities of these crystals were investigated using ²⁴¹Am and ¹³⁷Cs sources. Fast neutron detection was tested using a²⁵²Cf source and three separate bands corresponding to electron, proton, and alpha were observed. The proton band induced by the ³⁵Cl(n,p)³⁵S reaction can be used for direct neutron spectroscopy because proton energy is proportional to incident neutron energy. Owing to good scintillation performance and excellent PSD capabilities, pure LaCl₃ is a promising candidate for space detectors and other applications that necessitate gamma/fast neutron discrimination capability.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제20권12호
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• pp.1529-1530
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• 1999

• 한국원자력학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국원자력학회 2002년도 추계학술발표회요약집
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• pp.73-73
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• 2002

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제55권11호
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• pp.3925-3934
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• 2023

The importance of fast neutron detection for nuclear safeguards purposes has increased due to its potential advantages such as reasonable cost and higher precision for larger sample masses of nuclear materials. Pulse-shape discrimination (PSD) is inevitably used to discriminate neutron- and gamma-ray- induced signals from organic scintillators of very high gamma sensitivity. The light output (LO) threshold corresponding to several MeV of recoiled proton energy could be necessary to achieve fine PSD performance. However, this leads to neutron count losses and possible distortion of results obtained by neutron multiplicity counting (NMC)-based nuclear material accountancy (NMA). Moreover, conventional PSD techniques are not effective for counting of neutrons in a high-gamma-ray environment, even under a sufficiently high LO threshold. In the present work, PSD performance (figure-of-merit, FOM) according to LO bands was confirmed using a conventional charge comparison method (CCM) and compared with results obtained by convolution neural network (CNN)-based PSD algorithms. Also, it was attempted, for the first time ever, to reject fake neutron signals from distorted PSD regions where neutron-induced signals are normally detected. The overall results indicated that higher neutron detection efficiency with better accuracy could be achieved via CNN-based PSD algorithms.

• 한국원자력학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국원자력학회 2001년도 춘계학술발표회요약집
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• pp.78-78
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• 2001

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제32권4호
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• pp.361-371
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• 2000

The 123Te(p,n)123I, 124Te(p,n)124I and 124Te(p,2n)123I reactions, among the many reaction channels opened, are the major reactions under consideration from a diagnostic purpose because reaction residuals as the gamma emitters are used for most radiophamaceutical applications involving radioiodine. Based on the available experimental data, the absorption cross sections and elastic scattering angular distributions of the proton-induced nuclear reaction on Te isotopes below 60 MeV are calculated using the optical model code APMNK. The transmission coefficients of neutron, proton, deuteron, trition and alpha particles are calculated by CUNF code and are fed into the GNASH code. By adjusting level density parameters and the pair correction values of some reaction channels, as well as the composite nucleus state density constants of the pre-equilibrium model, the production cross sections and energy-angle correlated spectra of the secondary light particles, as well as production cross sections and energy distributions of heavy recoils and gamma rays are calculated by the statistical plus pre-equilibrium model code GNASH. The calculated results are analysed and compared with the experimental data taken from the EXFOR. The optimized global optical model parameters give overall agreement with the experimental data over both the entire energy range and all tellurium isotopes.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제55권3호
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• pp.1021-1030
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• 2023

We propose an overall procedure for measuring and unfolding fast neutron spectra using a trans-stilbene scintillation detector. Detector characterization was described, including the information on energy calibration, detector resolution, and nonproportionality response. The digital charge comparison method was used for the investigation of neutron-gamma Pulse Shape Discrimination (PSD). A pair of values of 600 ns pulse width and 24 ns delay time was found as the optimized conditions for PSD. A fitting technique was introduced to increase the trans-stilbene Proton Response Function (PRF) by 28% based on comparison of the simulated and experimental electron-equivalent distributions by the Cf-252 source. The detector response matrix was constructed by Monte-Carlo simulation and the spectrum unfolding was implemented using the iterative Bayesian method. The unfolding of simulated and measured spectra of Cf-252 and AmBe neutron sources indicates reliable, stable and no-bias results. The unfolding technique was also validated by the measured cosmic-ray induced neutron flux. Our approach is promising for fast neutron detection and spectroscopy.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제41권2호
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• pp.123-131
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• 2016

Background: With the increase in the number of particle accelerator facilities under either operation or construction, the accurate calculation using Monte Carlo codes become more important in the shielding design and radiation safety evaluation of accelerator facilities. Materials and Methods: The calculations with different physics models were applied in both of cases: using only physics model and using the mix and match method of MCNPX code. The issued conditions were the interactions of 600 MeV proton and $290MeV{\cdot}n^{-1}$ oxygen with a carbon target. Both of cross-section libraries, JENDL High Energy File 2007 (JENDL/HE-2007) and LA150, were tested in this calculation. In the case of oxygen ion interactions, the calculation results using LAQGSM physics model and JENDL/HE-2007 library were compared with D. Satoh's experimental data. Other Monte Carlo calculations using PHITS and FLUKA codes were also carried out for further benchmarking study. Results and Discussion: It was clearly found that the physics models, especially intra-nuclear cascade model, gave a great effect to determine proton-induced secondary neutron spectrum in MCNPX code. The variety of physics models related to heavy ion interactions did not make big difference on the secondary particle productions. Conclusion: The variations of secondary neutron spectra and particle transports depending on various physics models in MCNPX code were studied and the result of this study can be used for the shielding design and radiation safety evaluation.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제52권8호
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• pp.1817-1825
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• 2020

Background: Cosmic ray-induced particles can lead to failure of semiconductors packaged for export during air transport. This work performed MCNP 6.2 simulations to optimize shielding against neutrons and protons induced by cosmic radiation Methods and materials: The energy spectra of protons and neutrons by incident angle at the flight altitude were determined using atmospheric cuboid model. Various candidates for the shielding materials and the geometry of the Unit Load Device Container were evaluated to determine the conditions that allow optimal shielding at all sides of the container. Results: It was found that neutrons and protons, at the flight altitude, generally travel with a downward trajectory especially for the particles with high energy. This indicated that the largest number of particles struck the top of the container. Furthermore, the simulation results showed that, among the materials tested, borated polyethylene and stainless steel were the most optimal shielding materials. The optimal shielding structure was also determined with the weight limit of the container in consideration. Conclusions: Under the determined optimal shielding conditions, a significantly reduced number of neutrons and protons reach the contents inside the container, which ultimately reduces the possibility of semiconductor failure during air transport.