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14 MeV neutrons : physics and applications
\"Despite the often difficult and time-consuming effort of performing experiments with fast (14 MeV) neutrons, these neutrons can offer special insight into nucleus and other materials because of the absence of charge. 14 MeV neutrons: physics and applications explores fast neutrons in basic science and applications to problems in medicine, the environment, and security. Drawing on his more than 50 years of experience working with 14 MeV neutrons, the author focuses on: Sources of 14 MeV neutrons, including laboratory size accelerators, small and sealed tube generators, well logging sealed tube accelerators, neutron generators with detection of associated alpha particles, plasma devices, high flux sources, and laser-generated neutron sources ; Nuclear reactions with 14 MeV neutrons, including measurements of energy spectra, angular distributions, and deductions of reaction mechanism ; Nuclear reactions with three particles in the final state induced by neutrons and the identification of effects of final state interaction, quasi-free scattering, and charge-dependence of nuclear forces ; Charged particle and neutron detection methods, particularly position-sensitive detectors ; Industrial applications of nuclear analytical methods, especially in the metallurgy and coal industries ; Quality assurance and quality control measures for nuclear analytical methods ; Nuclear and atomic physics-based technology for combating illicit trafficking and terrorism ; and Medical applications, including radiography, radiotherapy, in vivo neutron activation analysis, boron neutron therapy, collimated neutron beams, and dosimetry. This book reflects the exciting developments in both fundamental nuclear physics and the application of fast neutrons to many practical problems. The book shows how 14 MeV neutrons are used in materials detection and analysis to effectively inspect large volumes in complex environments.\"--Back cover.
Book
Assessment of Five Concrete Types as Candidate Shielding Materials for a Compact Radiation Source Based on the IECF
A radiation source based on the inertial electrostatic confinement fusion (IECF) system is being developed for multidisciplinary research applications. The radiation outputs from the IECF system are 2.45 MeV fast neutrons and the associated co-generated X-rays with an energy less than 3 MeV. A radiation shielding study has been performed on five types of concrete to define the most efficient material for the shielding design of the system. The proposed materials were ilmenite-magnetite concrete (IMC), ordinary concrete-1 (OC-1), barite-containing concrete (BC), ordinary concrete-2 (OC-2), and serpentine-containing concrete (SC). A numerical model was applied to determine the effective removal cross-section coefficients (∑Rt) for the fast neutrons and the total mass attenuation coefficients (µm), the half-value layer (HVL), the mean free path (MFP), the effective atomic number (Zeff), and effective electron density (Neff) for photons inside the materials. The model considered the radiation source energy and the material properties of the concrete types. The results revealed that the serpentine-containing concrete exhibited the highest ∑Rt with 12 cm of concrete thickness needed to attenuate an incident neutron flux to 1/100 of its initial value. In addition, the BC shows the highest µm with a 38 cm concrete thickness needed to attenuate the 3 MeV energy X-ray flux to 1/100 of its initial value. This study suggests that a 40 cm thickness of SC or BC adequately shields the radiation generated from an IECF system with a maximum particle production rate of up to 1 × 107 n/s.
Journal Article
Organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite scintillators for mixed field radiation detection
Sensitive and fast detection of neutrons and gamma rays is vital for homeland security, high‐energy physics, and proton therapy. Fast‐neutron detectors rely on light organic scintillators, and γ‐ray detectors use heavy inorganic scintillators and semiconductors. Efficient mixed‐field detection using a single material is highly challenging due to their contradictory requirements. Here we report hybrid perovskites (C8H12N)2Pb(Br1−xClx)4 that combine light organic cations and heavy inorganic skeletons at a molecular level to achieve unprecedented performance for mixed‐field radiation detection. High neutron absorption due to a high density of hydrogen, strong radiative recombination within the highly confined [PbX6]4− layer, and sub‐nanometer distance between absorption sites and radiative centers, enable a light yield of 41 000 photons/MeV, detection pulse width of 2.97 ns and extraordinary linearity response toward both fast neutrons and γ‐rays, outperforming commonly used fast‐neutron scintillators. Neutron energy spectrum, time‐of‐flight based fast‐neutron/γ‐ray discrimination and neutron yield monitoring were all successfully achieved using (C8H12N)2Pb(Br0.95Cl0.05)4 detectors. We further demonstrate the monitoring of reaction kinetics and total power of a nuclear fusion reaction. We envision that molecular hybridized scintillators open a new avenue for mixed‐field radiation detection and imaging. New hybrid perovskite scintillator that combine light organic cations and heavy inorganic skeletons at a molecular level was proposed for fast‐neutron/γ‐ray mixed‐field detection. By utilizing its advantages of hydrogen enrichment, high equivalent atomic number, strong radiative recombination within the highly confined [PbX6]4‐layer, and sub‐nanometer distance between absorption sites and radiative centers, the effective discrimination of pulsed fast neutron and γ signals was realized based on time‐of‐flight technology, so as to obtain the time information and energy information of the nuclear reaction process accurately.
Journal Article
Shielding Properties of Some Marble Types: A Comprehensive Study of Experimental and XCOM Results
In this work, some marble types were collected from Egypt, and their shielding characteristics were estimated. Their rigidity, in addition to their elegant shape, led us to consider their use as a protective shield, in addition to making the workplace more beautiful. The mass attenuation coefficient (μ/ρ) was calculated for three types of marble (Breshia, Galala, and Trista) experimentally, using a narrow gamma ray source and high pure germanium (HPGe). The results obtained were compared with the XCOM program and indicated a very good agreement between the two methods. The linear attenuation coefficient (μ) was evaluated to calculate the half and tenth value layers. The maximum μ value of 1.055, 1.041, and 1.024 cm−1 was obtained for Breshia, Galala, and Trista, respectively, at 0.06 MeV. The mean free path for studying the materials was compared with other shielding materials and showed good results at different energy scales. The energy absorption (EABF) and exposure buildup factors (EBF) were determined at different mean free paths. The fast neutron removal cross section ΣR was calculated and expresses the ability of the marbles to slow down fast neutrons through multiple scattering. This is the ability of the marbles to shield fast neutrons.
Journal Article
Effect of neutron beam properties on dose distributions in a water phantom for boron neutron capture therapy
From the viewpoints of the advantage depths (ADs), peak tumor dose and skin dose, we evaluated the effect on the dose distribution of neutron beam properties, namely the ratio between thermal and epithermal neutron fluxes (thermal/epithermal ratio), fast neutron component and γ-ray component. Several parameter surveys were conducted with respect to the beam properties of neutron sources for boron neutron capture therapy assuming boronophenylalanine as the boron agent using our dose calculation tool, called SiDE. The ADs decreased by 3% at a thermal/epithermal ratio of 20–30% compared with the current recommendation of 5%. The skin dose increased with the increasing thermal/epithermal ratio, reaching a restricted value of 14 Gyeq at a thermal/epithermal ratio of 48%. The fast neutron component was modified using two different models, namely the ‘linear model’, in which the fast neutron intensity decreases log-linearly with the increasing neutron energy, and the ‘moderator thickness (MT) model’, in which the fast neutron component is varied by adjusting the MT in a virtual beam shaping assembly. Although a higher fast neutron component indicated a higher skin dose, the increment was <10% at a fast neutron component of <1 × 10−12 Gy cm2 for both models. Furthermore, in the MT model, the epithermal neutron intensity at a fast neutron component of 6.8 × 10−13 Gy cm2 was 41% higher compared with that of 2 × 10−13 Gy cm2. The γ-ray component also caused no significant disadvantages up to several times larger compared with the current recommendation.
Journal Article
Neutron Imaging at LANSCE—From Cold to Ultrafast
In recent years, neutron radiography and tomography have been applied at different beam lines at Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE), covering a very wide neutron energy range. The field of energy-resolved neutron imaging with epi-thermal neutrons, utilizing neutron absorption resonances for contrast as well as quantitative density measurements, was pioneered at the Target 1 (Lujan center), Flight Path 5 beam line and continues to be refined. Applications include: imaging of metallic and ceramic nuclear fuels, fission gas measurements, tomography of fossils and studies of dopants in scintillators. The technique provides the ability to characterize materials opaque to thermal neutrons and to utilize neutron resonance analysis codes to quantify isotopes to within 0.1 atom %. The latter also allows measuring fuel enrichment levels or the pressure of fission gas remotely. More recently, the cold neutron spectrum at the ASTERIX beam line, also located at Target 1, was used to demonstrate phase contrast imaging with pulsed neutrons. This extends the capabilities for imaging of thin and transparent materials at LANSCE. In contrast, high-energy neutron imaging at LANSCE, using unmoderated fast spallation neutrons from Target 4 [Weapons Neutron Research (WNR) facility] has been developed for applications in imaging of dense, thick objects. Using fast (ns), time-of-flight imaging, enables testing and developing imaging at specific, selected MeV neutron energies. The 4FP-60R beam line has been reconfigured with increased shielding and new, larger collimation dedicated to fast neutron imaging. The exploration of ways in which pulsed neutron beams and the time-of-flight method can provide additional benefits is continuing. We will describe the facilities and instruments, present application examples and recent results of all these efforts at LANSCE.
Journal Article
Neutronic Study on Ac-225 Production for Cancer Therapy by (n,2n) Reaction of Ra-226 or Th-230 Using Fast Reactor Joyo
Ac-225 has lately drawn considerable attention as a radioisotope for targeted alpha therapy treatment for certain types of prostate, blood-derived, and disseminated cancers, but its supply is limited. Therefore, we investigated the production method of Ac-225 by nuclear transmutation in a fast neutron reactor. The authors investigated irradiation of Ra-226 or Th-230 as a target nuclide in the experimental fast reactor Joyo, owned and operated by Japan Atomic Energy Agency, which has abundant fast neutrons and a large loading region with high heat removal capacity. Ra-226 is in increasing demand as a target nuclide to produce Ac-225. Therefore, as another option, we selected Th-230, which is 50 times more abundant than Ra-226 in natural uranium, as an alternative nuclide. Irradiation of Ra-226 and Th-230 with high energy neutrons above the threshold causes an (n,2n) reaction, producing Ra-225 and Th-229, respectively, which are the parent nuclides of Ac-225. The analyses showed that 47 GBq of Ac-225 can be generated annually by irradiating 1 g of Ra-226, and 6.5 GBq of Ac-225 can be semi-permanently generated every year by one-time irradiation of 50 g of Th-230 for 10 years (5 EFPY). It can be concluded that 100 MWt Joyo has potential to produce more than 70% of the current global supply of Ac-225 and/or to generate the parent nuclide Th-229, which keeps producing Ac-225 for thousands of years.
Journal Article
A Novel NDT Scanning System Based on Line Array Fast Neutron Detector and D-T Neutron Source
A novel non-destructive testing scanning system based on a large-size line array fast neutron detector and compact D-T neutron source has been constructed. The scanning range is up to 1000 mm, and the resolution is better than 1 mm. The fast neutron detection subsystem consists of a polypropylene zinc sulfide scintillator embedded with wavelength-shifting fibers, coupled with a light lens and a scientific CCD camera. With a new rotating tritium target, the lifetime of the compact D-T neutron source could achieve ten hours. The experimental results indicate that the scanning method based on line array fast neutron detector and D-T neutron source is feasible and enables the detection of slits on the order of 0.5 mm in width. Fast neutron tomography has been realized by this detection system too.
Journal Article
Thermal conductivity of boron carbide under fast neutron irradiation
Due to the complex products and irradiation-induced defects, it is hard to understand and even predict the thermal conductivity variation of materials under fast neutron irradiation, such as the abrupt degradation of thermal conductivity of boron carbide (B
4
C) at the very beginning of the irradiation process. In this work, the contributions of various irradiation-induced defects in B
4
C primarily consisting of the substitutional defects, Frenkel defect pairs, and helium bubbles were re-evaluated separately and quantitatively in terms of the phonon scattering theory. A theoretical model with an overall consideration of the contributions of all these irradiation-induced defects was proposed without any adjustable parameters, and validated to predict the thermal conductivity variation under irradiation based on the experimental data of the unirradiated, irradiated, and annealed B
4
C samples. The predicted thermal conductivities by this model show a good agreement with the experimental data after irradiation. The calculation results and theoretical analysis in light of the experimental data demonstrate that the substitutional defects of boron atoms by lithium atoms, and the Frenkel defect pairs due to the collisions with the fast neutrons, rather than the helium bubbles with strain fields surrounding them, play determining roles in the abrupt degradation of thermal conductivity with burnup.
Journal Article
Experimentally determined relative biological effectiveness of cyclotron-based epithermal neutrons designed for clinical BNCT: in vitro study
A neutron beam for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) of deep-seated tumours is designed to maintain a high flux of epithermal neutrons, while keeping the thermal and fast neutron component as low as possible. These neutrons (thermal and fast) have a high relative biological effectiveness in comparison with high energy photon beams used for conventional X-ray radiotherapy. In the past, neutrons for the purpose of BNCT were generated using nuclear reactors. However, there are various challenges that arise when installing a reactor in a hospital environment. From 2006, the Kyoto University Research Reactor Institute, in collaboration with Sumitomo Heavy Industries, began the development of an accelerator-based neutron source for clinical BNCT in a bid to overcome the shortcomings of a nuclear reactor-based neutron source. Following installation and beam performance testing, in vitro studies were performed to assess the biological effect of the neutron beam. Four different cell lines were prepared and irradiated using the accelerator-based neutron source. Following neutron and gamma ray irradiation, the survival curve for each cell line was calculated. The biological end point to determine the relative biological effectiveness (RBE) was set to 10% cell survival, and the D10 for each cell line was determined. The RBE of the accelerator-based neutron beam was evaluated to be 2.62.
Journal Article