THE THERMAL NEUTRON SPECTRUM IN A FINITEMASS MEDIUM.
Abstract
The distribution of neutrons at thermal energies in a monatomic Maxwellian gas is determined. Spectra are found in various mass media and for varying amounts of absorption by numerically solving Corngold's higher-order gas equation; a result that is new. From the spectra obtained the average neutron velocity is found and the thermal diffusion length squared is calculated. Using this method and a neutron age from a moments method calculation, the migration area in selected real nuclides is determined. The deviations from Maxwellian of the thermal neutron spectra are used to determine the energy at which a neutron becomes thermal. This effective thermal transition energy, E*, is found for media of various mass with varying amounts of absorption. The neutron thermal spectrum is found to be generally non-Maxwellian for values of the absorption parameter greater than 0.01.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1965
- Accession Number
- AD0621119
Entities
People
- Ernest Park Sims
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology