Neutron Sources and Interaction 2003

1
Radiation Detection and

Measurement
JORDAN UNIVERSITY
2010-2011
Ahmad Mansour
(a_mansour01@yahoo.com)
ind of Neutron Sources

1.Spontaneous Fission .
.Radioisotope (d,n).
3.Photoneutron Sources.
4. Reactions from Accelerated Charged
Particles.
5.Pulse and spallation .
Ahmad Mansour
3
Spontaneous Fission
hen nuclei created with excitation energy greater than
the neutron binding energy can decay by neutron
emission, these highly excited states are not produced
as a result of any convenient radioactive decay process
The possible choices for radioisotope neutron sources
are much more limited and are based on either
spontaneous fission or on nuclear reactions for which the
incident particle is the product of a conventional decay
process , practical isotope sources of neutrons do not
exist in the same sense that gamma-ray sources are
available from many different nuclei populated by beta
decay
Ahmad Mansour
4
for example :
87
Br
87
Kr* +
-
86
Kr + n
Ahmad Mansour (a_mansour01@yahoo.com)
5
Spontaneous Fission
6
The most common spontaneous fission source
is
5
Cf
The dominant decay mechanism is alpha decay,
and the alpha emission rate is about 3 times
that for spontaneous fission
The neutron yield is 0.116 n/s per Bq, where the
activity is the combined alpha and spontaneous
fission decay rate
The energy spectrum of the neutrons is
7 Ahmad Mansour (a_mansour01@yahoo.com)
8
#adioisotope a,n ) Sources
Several different target materials can lead to
a,n ) reactions for the alpha particle energies
that are readily available in radioactive decay.
The maximum neutron yield is obtained when
beryllium is chosen as the target, and neutrons
are produced through the reaction
Q-value of +5.71 MeV
The neutrons (here) are not monoenergetic

Because of :
1. The many alpha groups.
. The slowing of alphas that will occur by
collision in any solid material
3. The various direction of emission that can
occur for the neutrons relative to the alphas
4. The possibility that C-1 is left in an excited
state.
10
The neutron yield from
this reaction when a
beam of alpha particles
strikes a target that is
thick compared with their
range is plotted , Most of
the alpha particles simply
are stopped in the target,
and only 1 in about 10000
reacts with a beryllium
nucleus
11
The remaining radioisotopes it's involve simpler
alpha decays and the gamma ray background is
much lower. The choice between these
alternatives is made primarily on the basis of
availability, cost, and half-life. ecause the
physical size of the sources is no longer
negligible, one would like the half-life to be as
short as possible, consistent with the application,
so that the specific activity of the emitter is high.
1
#adioisotope(o,n)Sources
e choose between these alternatives
according to:
1. nvolving simpler alpha decay
. nvolving less gamma ray background
3. Availability
4. Cost
5. Half life
6. Physical size
13
%e neutron energy spectra from aII
suc aIpa/e sources are simiIar, and
any differences refIect onIy te smaII
variations in te primary aIpa energies.
A pIot of te spectrum from a
239
Pu/e
source is sown
%e various peaks and vaIIeys in tis
energy distribution can be anaIyzed in
terms of te excitation state in wic te
12
C product
For sources tat contain onIy a few
grams of materiaI, te spectrum of
neutrons tat emerges from te source
surface is essentiaIIy te same as tat
created in te a,n ) reactions.
For Iarger sources, te secondary
processes of neutron scattering witin
te source, (n, 2n) reactions in
beryIIium, and (n, fission) events witin
te pIutonium or oter actinide can
introduce some dependence of te
energy spectrum on te source size
14
A number of oter aIpa-particIe-induced reactions ave occasionaIIy been
empIoyed as neutron sources, but aII ave a substantiaIIy Iower neutron yieId
per unit aIpa activity compared wit te beryIIium reaction. Some of te
potentiaI usefuI reactions are Iisted in tis ecause aII te Q-vaIues of tese
reactions are Iess tan tat of te beryIIium reaction, te resuIting neutron
spectra sown in Fig ave a somewat Iower average energy. In particuIar, te
7
Li a,n ) reaction wit its igIy negative Q-vaIue Ieads to a neutron spectrum
wit a Iow 0.5 MeV average energy tat is especiaIIy usefuI in some
appIications
Alternative (a, n) sotopic Neutron Sources
15
Neutron energy spectra from alternative (a,n) sources
16
Potoneutron Sources
Some radioisotope gamma-ray emitters can also be used to produce
neutrons when combined with an appropriate target material. The
resulting photoneutron sources are based on supplying sufficient
excitation energy to a target nucleus by absorption of a gamma-ray
photon to allow the emission of a free neutron
y-radiation with an energy exceeding the neutron binding energy
nucleus can eject a neutron
Beryllium (
Be) & Deuterium (
H) only practical target nuclei for

radioisotopes photoneutron sources.
17
A gamma-ray photon with an energy of at least the negative of the
Q-value is required to make the reactions energetically possible, so
that only relatively high-energy gamma rays can be applied. For
gamma-ray energies that exceed this minimum, the corresponding
neutron energy can be calculated from
f 0 varies between 0 & the relatively small kinematics spread
broadens the neutron energy spectrum by only a few percent
For large sources degradation in the spectrum scattering of neutrons
within the source before they escape
18
Advantage of photoneutron source:
monoenergetic y-rays nearly monoenergetic neutrons
But the main disadvantage of photoneutron source:
producing neutron sources of attractive intensities
very large y-ray activities must be used
1
#eactions from AcceIerated Carged
ParticIes
Because alpha particles are the only heavy charged particles with Because alpha particles are the only heavy charged particles with
low Z conveniently available from radioisotopes, reactions involving low Z conveniently available from radioisotopes, reactions involving
incident protons, deuterons, and so on must rely on artificially incident protons, deuterons, and so on must rely on artificially
accelerated particles. Neutron generators contain compact linear accelerated particles. Neutron generators contain compact linear
accelerators produce neutrons by inducing fusion between beams of accelerators produce neutrons by inducing fusion between beams of
isotopes of hydrogen together and metal hydride targets which also isotopes of hydrogen together and metal hydride targets which also
contain these isotopes Two of the most common reactions of this contain these isotopes Two of the most common reactions of this
type used to produce neutrons are type used to produce neutrons are
0
These reactions are widely exploited in "neutron generators" in
which deuterium ions are accelerated by a potential of about 100-
300 kV
Because the incident particle energy is then small compared with
the Q-value of either reaction, all the neutrons produced have about
the same energy (near 3 MeV for the D-D reaction and 14 MeV for
the D-T reaction). A 1 mA beam of deuterons will produce about
10
n/s from a thick deuterium target, and about 1011 n/s from a
tritium target
A number of other charged-particle-induced reactions that involve
either a negative Q-value or a target with higher atomic number are
also applied to neutron generation.
Some common examples are
Be(d, n),
7
Li(p, n), and
3
H(p, n). n
these cases, a higher incident particle energy is required, and large
accelerator facilities such as cyclotrons or Van de Graaf
accelerators are needed to produce the incident particle beam.
1
%e SpaIIation Neutron Source (SNS)
hen a high-energy proton is accelerated into a heavy target, a number of
spallation particles, including neutrons are produced. For every proton
striking the nucleus, 0 to 30 neutrons are expelled.
The SNS process is, briefly:
1. Negative hydrogen ions (a proton with two electrons) are first generated in
pulses;
. accelerated to 1 GeV (almost 0 percent of the speed of light) by a linear
accelerator using both standard and superconducting techniques;
3. stripped of electrons and concentrated into a M proton beam of less
than 1 s pulses at 60 Hz in an accumulator ring;
4. directed at a liquid mercury target (chosen for mercury's large nucleus
containing many neutrons and its liquid form at ambient conditions capable
of absorbing rapid temperature rise and intense bombardment shock) in the
target building, which ejects 0 to 30 neutrons per mercury nucleus hit by a
proton (spalling in all directions);
5. which are slowed down by moderators to useful energies
Thank you
3
eneraI Properties
neutrons carry no carge and terefore cannot interact in matter by means of
te couIomb force
Neutrons can aIso traveI troug many centimeters of matter witout any type
of interaction
Wen a neutron does undergo interaction, it is wit a nucIeus of te absorbing
materiaI.
As a resuIt of te interaction, te neutron may eiter totaIIy disappear and be
repIaced by one or more secondary radiations, or eIse te energy or direction
of te neutron is canged significantIy.
In contrast to gamma rays, te secondary radiations resuIting from neutron
interactions are aImost aIways eavy carged particIes.
4
eneraI Properties
%ese particIes may be produced eiter as a resuIt of neutron-induced
nucIear reactions or tey may be te nucIei of te absorbing materiaI
itseIf,
%e reIative probabiIities of te various types of neutron interactions
cange dramaticaIIy wit neutron energy .
we wiII divide neutrons into two categories on te basis of teir
energy, eiter "fast neutrons" or "sIow neutrons,"
%e dividing Iine wiII be at about 0.5 eV, or about te energy of te
abrupt drop in absorption cross section in cadmium (te cadmium
cutoff energy).
5
Elastic Scattering:
there is no energy
transferred into nuclear excitation. Momentum and kinetic
energy of the "system" are conserved
there is usually some transfer of kinetic energy from the
neutron to the target nucleus.
The target nucleus gains the amount of kinetic energy
that the neutron loses.
(n,n) (Q-vaIue = zero)
6
inelastic scattering:
the incident neutron is
absorbed by the target
nucleus, forming a compound nucleus. The
compound nucleus will then emit a neutron of
lower kinetic energy
which leaves the original nucleus in an excited
state. The nucleus will usually, by one or more
gamma emissions, emit this excess energy to
reach its ground state.
Q-value is (-ve)
7
absorption reactions:
1. radiative capture the incident neutron enters
the target nucleus forming a compound
nucleus .The compound nucleus then
decays to its ground state by gamma
emission
2 ( n , y) 3 Q-vaIue = 6.257241549 MeV
8
. particle ejection reaction:
the incident particle enters the target nucleus
forming a compound nucleus. The newly
formed compound nucleus has been excited to
a high enough energy level to cause it to eject
a new particle while the incident neutron
remains in the nucleus.
27
AI ( n , o )
24
Na(Q-vaIue = -26.63139 MeV)
56
Fe ( n , p )
56
Mn(Q-vaIue = -2.402187 MeV)
93
Nb ( n. 2n )
92m
Nb(Q-vaIue = -8.83113 MeV)
235
U ( n , 3n )
236
U* (Q-vaIue = 173.2898 MeV )
3. fission:
the nucleus that absorbs the neutron
actually splits into two different sized
parts.
30
SIow Neutron Interactions
For slow neutrons, the significant interactions include elastic scattering with
absorber nuclei and a large set of neutron-induced nuclear reactions.
Because of the small kinetic energy of slow neutrons, very little energy can
be transferred to the nucleus in elastic scattering.
Because the incoming neutron energy is so low, all such reactions must
have a positive Q-value to be energetically possible.
n most materials, the radiative capture reaction [or (n, y) reaction] is the
most probable
Radiative capture reactions can be useful in the indirect detection of
neutrons using activation foils. but they are not widely applied in active
neutron detectors because the secondary radiation takes the form of
gamma rays, which are also difficult to detect.
reactions such as n, d), n, p), and n, fission) are much more attractive
because the secondary radiations are charged particles.
31
Fast Neutron Interactions
The probability of most neutron-induced reactions potentially useful in
detectors drops off rapidly with increasing neutron energy.
The importance of scattering becomes greater, because the neutron can
transfer an appreciable amount of energy in one collision. The secondary
radiations in this case are recoil nuclei,
At each scattering site, the neutron loses energy and is thereby 2oderated
or slowed to lower energy.
The most efficient moderator is hydrogen because the neutron can lose up
to all its energy in a single collision with a hydrogen nucleus. For heavier
nuclei, only a partial energy transfer is possible
f the energy of the fast neutron is sufficiently high, inelastic scattering with
nuclei can take place in which the recoil nucleus is elevated to one of its
excited states during the collision .The nucleus quickly de-excites, emitting
a gamma ray, and the neutron loses a greater fraction of its energy than it
would in an equivalent elastic collision.
3
Neutron Cross Sections
For neutrons of a fixed energy, the probability
per unit path length is a constant for any one of
the interaction mechanisms .
The macroscopic cross section _
which now has dimensions of inverse length.
33
The number of detected neutrons will fall off
exponentially with absorber thickness.
The neutron mean free path / is, given by 1/_
t
n solid materials, / for slow neutrons may be of
the order of a centimeter or less, whereas for
fast neutrons, it is normally tens of centimeters.
34
f we first consider neutrons with a single energy or fixed velocity v.
the product v_ gives the interaction frequency for the process for
which _ is the macroscopic cross section.
The reaction rate density (reactions per unit time and volume) is
then given by n(r)v_, where n(r) is the neutron number density at the
vector position r.
and n(r)v is defined as the neutron flux (r) with dimensions of
length
-
time
-1
.
35
This relation can be generalized to include
an energy-dependent neutron flux (r, E)
and cross section _(E):
36
Thank you
37
hat does it mean to "detect a neutron?
Need to produce some sort of measurable quantitative
(countable) electrical signal
Can't directly "detect slow neutrons
Need to use nuclear reactions to "convert neutrons into
charged particles
Then we can use one of the many types of charged
particle detectors
Gas proportional counters and ionization chambers
Scintillation detectors
Semiconductor detectors
38
Nuclear Reactions for Neutron Detectors
n +
3
He F
3
H +
1
H + 0.764 MeV
n +
6
Li F
4
He +
3
H + 4.7 MeV
n +
10
B F
7
Li* +
4
HeF
7
Li +
4
He + 0.48 MeV +
.3 MeV (3%)
F
7
Li +
4
He +.8 MeV ( 7%)
n +
155
Gd F Gd* F -ray spectrum F
conversion electron spectrum
3
n +
157
Gd F Gd* F -ray spectrum F
conversion electron spectrum
n +
35
U F fission fragments + ~160 MeV
n +
3
Pu F fission fragments + ~160 MeV
40
10
B Capture Cross Section
Neutron
energy
(eV)
Capture
cross
section
(barns)
0.05 3850
1 607
100 60
1000 18.1
100000 1.
1000000 0.
9 = 1/\E
41
as Detectors
~5,000 ions and electrons produced per neutron (~4L10
-15
coulomb)
n He H H MeV F
3 3 1
0 76 .
4
as Detectors
onization Mode
electrons drift to anode, producing a charge
pulse
Proportional Mode
if voltage is high enough, electron collisions
ionize gas atoms producing even more
electrons
gas amplification
gas gains of up to a few thousand are possible
43
ScintiIIation Detectors
0' 0 3

F
44
Anger camera
Prototype scintillator
-based area-position-
sensitive neutron detector
Designed to allow easy
expansion into a 7x7
photomultiplier array with a
15x15 cm
active scintillator area.

Resolution is expected to be ~1.5x1.5 mm

45
Semiconductor Detectors:
n Li He H MeV F
6 4 3
4 7 .
46
Semiconductor Detectors
1,500,000 holes and electrons produced per
neutron (~.4L10
-13
coulomb)
This can be detected directly without further
amplification
But . . . standard device semiconductors do not contain
enough neutron-absorbing nuclei to give reasonable
neutron detection efficiency
put neutron absorber on surface of semiconductor?
develop boron phosphide semiconductor devices?
47
Coating with Neutron Absorber
Layer must be thin (a few microns) for charged
particles to reach detector
detection efficiency is low
Most of the deposited energy doesn't reach
detector
poor pulse height discrimination
48
Detection Efficiency
Full expression:
Approximate expression for low efficiency:
here:
o = absorption cross-section
N = number density of absorber
t = thickness
N = .7L101 cm-3 c atm-1 for a gas
For 1-cm thick
3
He at 1 atm and 1.8 ,
1 = 0.13
1
9

1 e
N t
9 9 1
4
PuIse eigt Discrimination
50
PuIse eigt Discrimination
Can set discriminator levels to reject undesired
events (fast neutrons, gammas, electronic noise)
Pulse-height discrimination can make a large
improvement in background
Discrimination capabilities are an important
criterion in the choice of detectors (
3
He gas
detectors are very good)
51
Thank you

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1

Radiation Detection and

ind of Neutron Sources

The neutrons (here) are not monoenergetic

Be) & Deuterium (

H) only practical target nuclei for

active scintillator area.

Ahmad Mansour (a_mansour01@yahoo.com)

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