Determination of Plutonium-Beryllium Source Strength by Manganese Activation.

Abstract

In this study the manganese-sulfate-bath technique was used to determine the total neutron output of a Plutonium-Beryllium neutron source. Activation trials were conducted using 4 different concentrations of manganese sulfate and 3 different size containers. Correction factors for source absorption, non-leakage, and resonance absorption were calculated using data generated by MORSE, a Monte Carlo neuron transport code. Values for these factors were calculated for manganese sulfate concentrations between 5.56% and 36.00%, and volumes from 17.2 to 160 liters in cylindrical containers. A source strength of 1.07 x 10 to the 7th + or - 3% neutrons per second was found by using experimentally measured manganese activity in conjunction with the computer-predicted correction factors.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 01, 1988
Accession Number
ADA194621

Entities

People

  • Paul F. Whitworth Jr

Organizations

  • Air Force Institute of Technology

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Absorption Cross Sections
  • Abstracts
  • Air Force
  • Detectors
  • Engineering
  • Equations
  • Fission Neutrons
  • Geometry
  • High Energy
  • Measurement
  • Neutron Cross Sections
  • Neutrons
  • Nuclear Engineering
  • Resonance Absorption
  • Spectra
  • Standards
  • Thermal Neutrons

Readers

  • Materials Science and Engineering.
  • Solar Physics