New method for measuring the time integral of neutron flux in a reactor

Sylvian Kahane; Yacov Finkelstein; Raymond Moreh

doi:10.1016/j.nima.2018.08.045

New method for measuring the time integral of neutron flux in a reactor

Sylvian Kahane, Yacov Finkelstein, Raymond Moreh

Department of Physics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

A new method for measuring the time integral of thermal neutron flux of a nuclear reactor is proposed. This method utilizes two consecutive (n,γ) reactions on the ⁵⁸Ni isotope of a natural nickel sample placed near the core of a reactor, ⁵⁸Ni(n,γ)→⁵⁹Ni(n,γ)→⁶⁰Ni(n,γ). Natural nickel contains 68% ⁵⁸Ni producing an intense 8.999 MeV γ-line leading to the ⁵⁹Ni ground state via the ⁵⁸Ni(n,γ) reaction. The ⁵⁹Ni isotope produced in this manner undergoes another (n,γ) reaction, emitting a γ-line at 11.388 MeV leading to the ⁶⁰Ni ground state. By measuring the intensity ratio of the two γ-lines at 8.999 and 11.388 MeV using a HPGe detector, it is possible to deduce the integral over time of the neutron flux necessary for producing the ⁵⁹Ni isotope. Good accuracy can be obtained with this method due to the low gamma background at such high energies.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	155-158
Number of pages	4
Journal	Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Volume	908
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2018.08.045
State	Published - 11 Nov 2018

Keywords

Gamma detection
HPGe
Neutron flux
Ni(n,γ) reaction
Ni(n,γ) reaction

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Nuclear and High Energy Physics
Instrumentation

Access to Document

10.1016/j.nima.2018.08.045

Cite this

@article{021fa82d9c304f929f6ee503855defb2,

title = "New method for measuring the time integral of neutron flux in a reactor",

abstract = "A new method for measuring the time integral of thermal neutron flux of a nuclear reactor is proposed. This method utilizes two consecutive (n,γ) reactions on the 58Ni isotope of a natural nickel sample placed near the core of a reactor, 58Ni(n,γ)→59Ni(n,γ)→60Ni(n,γ). Natural nickel contains 68% 58Ni producing an intense 8.999 MeV γ-line leading to the 59Ni ground state via the 58Ni(n,γ) reaction. The 59Ni isotope produced in this manner undergoes another (n,γ) reaction, emitting a γ-line at 11.388 MeV leading to the 60Ni ground state. By measuring the intensity ratio of the two γ-lines at 8.999 and 11.388 MeV using a HPGe detector, it is possible to deduce the integral over time of the neutron flux necessary for producing the 59Ni isotope. Good accuracy can be obtained with this method due to the low gamma background at such high energies.",

keywords = "Gamma detection, HPGe, Neutron flux, Ni(n,γ) reaction, Ni(n,γ) reaction",

author = "Sylvian Kahane and Yacov Finkelstein and Raymond Moreh",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2018",

year = "2018",

month = nov,

day = "11",

doi = "10.1016/j.nima.2018.08.045",

language = "English",

volume = "908",

pages = "155--158",

journal = "Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment",

issn = "0168-9002",

publisher = "Elsevier",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - New method for measuring the time integral of neutron flux in a reactor

AU - Kahane, Sylvian

AU - Finkelstein, Yacov

AU - Moreh, Raymond

PY - 2018/11/11

Y1 - 2018/11/11

N2 - A new method for measuring the time integral of thermal neutron flux of a nuclear reactor is proposed. This method utilizes two consecutive (n,γ) reactions on the 58Ni isotope of a natural nickel sample placed near the core of a reactor, 58Ni(n,γ)→59Ni(n,γ)→60Ni(n,γ). Natural nickel contains 68% 58Ni producing an intense 8.999 MeV γ-line leading to the 59Ni ground state via the 58Ni(n,γ) reaction. The 59Ni isotope produced in this manner undergoes another (n,γ) reaction, emitting a γ-line at 11.388 MeV leading to the 60Ni ground state. By measuring the intensity ratio of the two γ-lines at 8.999 and 11.388 MeV using a HPGe detector, it is possible to deduce the integral over time of the neutron flux necessary for producing the 59Ni isotope. Good accuracy can be obtained with this method due to the low gamma background at such high energies.

AB - A new method for measuring the time integral of thermal neutron flux of a nuclear reactor is proposed. This method utilizes two consecutive (n,γ) reactions on the 58Ni isotope of a natural nickel sample placed near the core of a reactor, 58Ni(n,γ)→59Ni(n,γ)→60Ni(n,γ). Natural nickel contains 68% 58Ni producing an intense 8.999 MeV γ-line leading to the 59Ni ground state via the 58Ni(n,γ) reaction. The 59Ni isotope produced in this manner undergoes another (n,γ) reaction, emitting a γ-line at 11.388 MeV leading to the 60Ni ground state. By measuring the intensity ratio of the two γ-lines at 8.999 and 11.388 MeV using a HPGe detector, it is possible to deduce the integral over time of the neutron flux necessary for producing the 59Ni isotope. Good accuracy can be obtained with this method due to the low gamma background at such high energies.

KW - Gamma detection

KW - HPGe

KW - Neutron flux

KW - Ni(n,γ) reaction

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85054405728&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.nima.2018.08.045

DO - 10.1016/j.nima.2018.08.045

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85054405728

VL - 908

SP - 155

EP - 158

JO - Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment

JF - Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment

SN - 0168-9002

ER -

New method for measuring the time integral of neutron flux in a reactor

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this