POTENTIAL AND LIMITATIONS OF SEVERAL NEUTRON COINCIDENCE EQUIPMENTS

Abstract

Coincident neutron detectors which can distinguish between neutrons occurring as a result of fission and those due to (alpha, n) or (Gamma, n) nuclear reactions have been described in a preceding report. The report discusses several methods of developing follow-on equipments with greater potential for the nondestructive assay of plutonium samples. The effect on equipment performance of the efficiency and neutron lifetime in the neutron detector and of analysis gate length and equipment dead times are treated in considerable detail and several illustrative examples are presented. Performance is generally improved by an increase of neutron efficiency accompanied by a decrease in neutron lifetime and the use of optimized analysis circuitry. Good performance can be obtained with complex 4 pi moderating detectors which employ an array of enriched BF3 or 3He neutrons detection tubes dispersed in a hydrogeneous moderator.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 01, 1970
Accession Number
AD0707706

Entities

People

  • Charles V. Strain

Organizations

  • United States Naval Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics
  • C4I
  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Charged Particles
  • Dead Time
  • Detection
  • Detectors
  • Fast Neutrons
  • Fission Neutrons
  • Gamma Rays
  • Materials
  • Measurement
  • Neutron Absorption
  • Neutron Capture
  • Neutron Detectors
  • Neutron Lifetime
  • Nuclear Reactions
  • Probability
  • Scintillation Counters
  • Time Intervals

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Nuclear and Radiation Engineering.
  • Software Engineering
  • Systems Analysis and Design