Tagging fast neutrons from a 252 Cf fission-fragment source

Scherzinger, J. et al. (2017) Tagging fast neutrons from a 252 Cf fission-fragment source. Applied Radiation and Isotopes, 128, pp. 270-274. (doi: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2017.05.022) (PMID:28755547)

Abstract

Coincidence and time-of-flight measurement techniques are employed to tag fission neutrons emitted from a 252Cf source sealed on one side with a very thin layer of Au. The source is positioned within a gaseous 4He scintillator detector. Together with α particles, both light and heavy fission fragments pass through the thin layer of Au and are detected. The fragments enable the corresponding fission neutrons, which are detected in a NE-213 liquid-scintillator detector, to be tagged. The resulting continuous polychromatic beam of tagged neutrons has an energy dependence that agrees qualitatively with expectations. We anticipate that this technique will provide a cost-effective means for the characterization of neutron-detector efficiency in the energy range 1–6 MeV.

• Item Type: Articles
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Al Jebali, Dr Ramsey and Annand, Dr John and Hamilton, Dr David
• Authors: Scherzinger, J., Al Jebali, R., Annand, J.R.M., Bala, A., Fissum, K.G., Hall-Wilton, R., Hamilton, D., Mauritzson, N., Messi, F., Perrey, H., and Rofors, E.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Physics and Astronomy
• Journal Name: Applied Radiation and Isotopes
• Publisher: Elsevier
• ISSN: 0969-8043
• ISSN (Online): 1872-9800
• Published Online: 30 May 2017
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2017 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Applied Radiation and Isotopes 128:270-274
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License