A. DIDI & al. / Mor. J. Chem.

4 N°2 (2016) 285-288

New design of thermal neutron flux distribution of Am–Be neutron source

irradiation in paraffin moderator using MCNP-6

A. Didi(a)*, A. Dadouch(a), J.Tajmouati(a), A. Maghnouj(a) M. Benchiekh(a), O. Jai(a)

(a)
LISTA Faculty of Science Dhar Mahraz,University of Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah, Fez, MOROCCO

*Corresponding author. E-mail : abdessamad.didi1@usmba.ac.ma

Received 29 Nov 2015, Revised 15 Apr 2016, Accepted 06 May 2016

Abstract
In this work we proposed new prototype design of Americium-Beryllium irradiation, source in goal to
increase the radial neutron flux, 241Am-Be source with activity of 20 Curie and it’s in the cylinder center,
filled with paraffin solid, simulation using Monte Carlo Code MCNP-6, results analysis are compared with
other studies, we noticed that the neutron flux increasing to (2.2 ± 0.0007) × 106 n/cm²s this result is more
improved than previous studies.

Keywords: Neutron flux Americium-Beryllium ; Thermal Neutrons ; NAA ; MCNP ; Neutron ; Am–Be ;
Flux ; Paraffin .

1. Introduction
The neutron can be produced a using a mixture of a heavy alpha emitter isotope 241Am (Americium) (433
year half-life) and beryllium with a nuclear reaction (α, n) [1](Knoll 1989), the study shows that a stable
alloy can be formed between the actinide and beryllium involves a significant interest in several field
practice as neutron activation analysis,
+ +
Nuclear reactors and Accelerator of particles are frequently used for neutron activation analysis (NAA)
because of their high neutron flux, compared to the neutron source isotopes, but it is relatively cheap
compared to other means, easy to protect and easy to take, there are many options for the alpha emitters. But
the choice is essentially based about the existence, cost, and the half-life. Preferably has the half-life should
be as short as possible and consistent with the application such that the specific transmitter is high activity.
Energy alpha particles created by 241Am which strike the target 9Be produced over a wide range with an
average energy of 4.2 Mev and a maximum of about 10 Mev [2](Marxh et al., 1995).
The Am-Be sources are probably the most commonly used (α, n) neutron sources isotropic. To increase the
efficiency without increasing the physical source of neutrons, alpha emitters with more specific activities are
used [1]. (Knoll,1989).
Am-Be neutron source is generally used as a calibration source for neutron instrumentation, and as a mobile
source for various applications. Construction of the Americium-Beryllium source is a compacted mixture of
fine powder AmO2 and 9Be, both the mixture are compressed into a cylindrical capsule with a density of 1.3

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g/cm3 [3]. The compacted mixture ratio and the density of the active area and so the physical size of the
source has a great influence on the production of a neutron [4](Lui et al., 2007). The main advantage of the
Am-Be neutron source neutron irradiator is its high stability of fluxes, thereby eliminating the need for a
standard material for measuring the activity induced in the samples [5](Zevallos-Chávezand Zamboni,
2005).
The fundamental objective of this research is to explore the source of Am-Be neutron using the paraffin as a
moderator Figure 1 instead of the standard method that uses water [6], RBM Sogbadjietal.2014 in order to
increase the thermal neutron flux from Am-Be neutron source, which will allow us to reduce the physical
dimension of the irradiated samples.

Figure 1. Vertical Cross-sectional view of the 241Am–Be neutron source

2. Materials and methods

2.1. Americium Beryllium source
Design of the source is shown schematically in Figure 2 contained in a standard capsule Amersham X.14
referenced with AMN241 code [3] (Vitorelli et al, 2005) , this capsule contains an activity of 20 Curies of
Americium-241 and emission of 2.2 106 n/cm²s [7] [8] [9] (Osae Amoh 1996, Peeples, 2007, M.Asamoah,
2011) with an intensity calculated theoretically equal to 4.4 107 n/cm²s, the geometry of 241Am-Be source is
a stainless steel double capsules with a following composition: C (0.004%); Mn (1.59%); P (0.011%); S
(0.008%); Si (0.37%); Cr (16.96%); Ni (3.61%); Mo (2.29%); Fe (65.16), [3][9] (Vitorelli et al, 2005, Mr.
Asamoah 2011 ).

Figure 2. Cross-sectional view of the 241Am–Be neutron source assembly

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2.2. MCNP Modeling

Simulation uses the MCNP-6 code realized at the Laboratory of Integration System and Technology
Advanced (LISTA) Faculty of Science Fez Morocco, in August-2015, with history of 20.107 particles was
set plays for the MCNP calculates, nuclear reaction give the sections effectively provide of library (ENDF /
B-VII) and thermal neutrons are described by the free gas S(ɑ,β) using the templates [10](X-6 Monte Carlo
team, 2014), in this study we used 12 detectors placed symmetrically and radial through the contribution to
the source, the fluxes calculate with each detector points used card F4 :N as was explained in the MCNP-6
manual [11] (X-6 Monte Carlo, 2014), the neutron flux using in this study concern the thermal flux with a
range of energy (0 to 6.2510-7) Mev. Results obtained from the MCNP output are analyzed and normalized
with formula 1 and interpreted use Excel and Origin.
(1)

3. Results and Discussions

2.3. Neutron field
The results presented in this publication are important for better understanding the distribution of neutron
flux in paraffin. After 20.107 particles stories use the MCNP-6 simulation of the the design source, The
performance of thermal neutron flux from 241Am–Be using paraffin us moderator go up (2.2 + 0.0007) ×106
n/cm²s by cons in the case of water the result obtained (1.80 + 0.0008) ×106n/cm²s, Figure 3 and table 1
[6],RBM Sogbadji 2014, the neutron flux yielded by the source Am–Be design with paraffin moderator is
more than that water moderator, figure 3, allure present in black in our study using the paraffin gives the
growth of the distribution of the radial neutron flux from the Am-Be source, the maximum flux was
recorded in the center with a maximum equal to (2.2 ±0.0007)×106n/cm²s, allure red it’s the study of the
Am-Be source used water as moderator, the maximum thermal flux is equal (1.8 +0.0008) ×106n/cm²s,
[6]Sogbadji 2014. The neutron flux are maximum at the center, the flux decrease exponentially when in
away from the source.

Figure 3. Distribution of Radial neutron flux of 20Ci Americium Beryllium

Table 1. Profile thermal neutron flux use water and paraffin of 20 Ci of 241Am-Be
study Moderator Maximum Thermal flux (n/cm²s)
Sogbadji 2014 Water (1.8 ±0.0008) ×106
Our work Paraffin (2.2 ±0.0007) ×106

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4. Conclusion
The neutron yield is very important to design the Am-Be source using the paraffin as moderator, for in the
case against water. This show that the increase neutron flux of Am Be sources in the use of application in
neutron activation analysis method can be more effective in terms of uses design source with paraffin
moderator. The model can be approved by the university in Africa and countries of the third world, so that
for these countries to benefit from the advantages of nuclear science using the instrumental of neutron
activation analysis.
The results compares very well with similar work done using the same method and experimental results [6],
(R.B.M. Sogbadji-2014) which gives a validation for calculating made in this work.

Acknowledgment
Sincere thanks goes to Dr. Paul Romano, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Nuclear
Science and Engineering, United States, E.H.K. Akaho and Matthew Asamoah Ghana Atomic Energy
Commission for its support and recommendation, and thanks to Ludovic MATHIEU CNRS researcher.

References
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