Evaluation of neutron energy spectrum from accelerator neutron source using directional proportional counter and digital pulse processing

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 23560055
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Applied physics, general
• Research Institution: Osaka Prefecture University
• Principal Investigator: MIYAMARU HIROYUKI 大阪府立大学, 工学(系)研究科(研究院), 准教授 (80243187)
• Project Period (FY): 2011-04-28 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 放射線計測 / 中性子

Outline of Final Research Achievements

A special cylindrical proportional neutron counter has been designed and developed to measure neutrons with wide energy range from a few eV to 1 MeV. A lot of thin plastic disks containing boron nitride powder were placed at 1 cm interval inside a counter to make an individual detection volume. Monte Carlo calculations repeated in a design cycle of the detector clarified that a neutron energy spectrum could be estimated by measuring the difference of neutron detection yield at each detection position.　Bayesian estimation was employed to evaluate a neutron energy spectrum from the counting rate at each position. Manipulation of a density gradient of boron for each disc changed the instrumental function and reproduced the energy distribution of neutrons around 1 MeV.
Combining with Bayesian estimation and the newly developed detector was found to be effective to evaluate neutrons in a wide energy area.

Free Research Field

放射線計測、放射線物理