Monte Carlo calculation of resonance self-shielding factors for epithermal neutron spectra

In this work, the resonance self-shielding factor is calculated by means of the Monte Carlo technique for different materials (Au, Co, Mn), geometries (circular foils and wires) and incidence of neutrons (isotropic field and collimated beam). The results are compared with the values obtained by other authors.     

Complete thermal and epithermal neutron self-shielding corrections for NAA using a spreadsheet

An analytical expression has been developed to calculate the neutron self-shielding in a cylindrical sample using the elemental thermal neutron absorption cross sections, σ _abs , and the newly-defined epithermal neutron absorption cross-sections, σ _abs,ep . The σ _abs,ep were measured experimentally for 13 nuclides and calculated from resonance parameters for 76 nuclides. Agreement between the two was good to about 20% in most cases. A spreadsheet program was written to use these nuclear parameters to perform iterative self-shielding corrections of concentrations measured by NAA. In cases with up to 30% self-shielding, the correction factors had uncertainties varying from 2% to 3%.     

Effects of the neutron spectrum on the neutron activation analysis constants for 94Zr and 96Zr

Department of Environmental Sciences, Joef Stefan Institute     

Correction for neutron self-shielding in large-sample prompt-gamma neutron activation analysis

When a sample is analysed with neutron activation analysis (NAA) neutron self-shielding and gamma self-absorption affect the accuracy. Both effects become even more important when the mass of a sample analysed is changed from small (say, 1 g) to large (say 30 kg). Therefore, corrections have to be carried out. In this article only the correction method for neutron self-shielding is considered for a thermal neutron beam irradiating large homogeneous samples for prompt-gamma NAA (PGNAA). The correction method depends on the macroscopic scattering and absorption cross sections of the sample. To avoid doing experiments with samples with different macroscopic scattering and absorption cross sections, the Monte Carlo model MCNP is applied in the development of the correction method. The computational development of the method to determine these cross sections through flux monitoring outside the sample is described.     

Experimental validation of some thermal neutron self-shielding calculation methods for cylindrical samples in INAA

Neutron self-shielding has been a factor of concern in the history of Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis. When the sample to be analyzed cannot be made small enough in size and/or sufficiently diluted, this undesired phenomenon must be accounted for. Several analytical, semi-empirical and computational methods for estimating the thermal neutron self-shielding effects have been extensively discussed in the literature and this work aims at the experimental validation of some of these methods by neutron irradiation of cylindrical samples containing strong thermal neutron absorbers. The accuracy and the relative differences in the results between these methods are discussed for cylindrical samples with up to 40% thermal self-shielding, showing that a semi-empirical sigmoidal function can be more accurate in modeling this effect than other exact algorithms, where a maximum 2% relative difference to the experimental values was obtained.     

The epithermal neutron flux distribution in a nuclear reactor and its effect on epithermal neutron activation analysis

The shape of the epithermal neutron energy distribution has been determined in two irradiation positions of the University of London CONSORT II reactor. The method applied involves cadmium ratio measurements using a series of resonance detectors. Principles of the method and some considerations relative to epithermal neutron activation analysis in connection with the deviation of the epithermal neutron flux distribution from the 1/E law are given.     

Neutron self-shielding correction for prompt gamma neutron activation analysis of large samples

Summary Facilities and methods for INAA of large samples (up to 30 kg) have been developed and successfully tested at IRI, Delft. The methods encompass corrections for neutron self shielding in an isotropic neutron field and gamma self-absorption. The sample’s neutron absorption and scattering characteristics are determined by monitoring the neutron fluence rate around the sample and comparing the neutron densities measured with unperturbed fluence rates. We report on the possibility of developing similar methods for PGNAA. Relative self-shielding factors were measured as well as obtained from Monte Carlo computations. The agreement is good except for the most extreme case, with respect to absorption, attempted (CCl₄).     

Enhancement of thermal neutron self-shielding in materials surrounded by reflectors

Materials containing from 41 to 1124?mg chlorine and surrounded by polyethylene containers of various thicknesses, from 0.01 to 5.6?mm, were irradiated in a research reactor neutron spectrum and the ³⁸Cl activity produced was measured as a function of polyethylene reflector thickness. For the material containing the higher amount of chlorine, the ³⁸Cl specific activity decreased with increasing reflector thickness, indicating increased neutron self-shielding. It was found that the amount of neutron self-shielding increased by as much as 52% with increasing reflector thickness. This is explained by neutrons which have exited the material subsequently reflecting back into it and thus increasing the total mean path length in the material. All physical and empirical models currently used to predict neutron self-shielding have ignored this effect and need to be modified. A method is given for measuring the adjustable parameter of a self-shielding model for a particular sample size and combination of neutron reflectors.     

Analysis of foods for iodine by epithermal neutron activation analysis

Epithermal-neutron activation analysis (ENAA) was applied to the analysis of foods for iodine. The procedure involves irradiation of wet foods in a boron nitride, vessel, followed by direct counting of the 442.9 keV gamma ray of¹²⁸I without any processing of the sample. Three research reactors were evaluated for use in determining iodine by ENAA. The University of Virginia reactor at Charlottesville was chosen for this study because the reactor facilities minimized thermal heating of the boron nitride vessel, enabling irradiation of larger, more representative analytical portions. Iodine concentrations ranging from <0.003 to 0.74 g/g are reported for 17 different food matrices.     

Critical evaluation of the effective resonance energy concept and the epithermal neutron spectrum shape-factorα for reactor NAA purposes

The epithermal reactor neutron spectrum shape-factor, and the associated effective resonance energy for a given nuclide, are examined theoretically in great detail. First the necessity, meaning and importance of the choice of a reference neutron energy in a non-ideal spectrum (0) are explained. Next, the definition and practical calculation of are discussed, showing that the relation between the reasonance integrals in ideal and non-ideal spectra cannot be described adequately by two independent parameters and . The exact meaning of the logarithmic expression defining an independent of is clarified, its limits of validity are established as a function of and, as a result, it follows that relatively large systematic errors on can be introduced by its use. It is shown that is dominated by the first lowest resonance energies for a given nuclide, making its vulnerability to literature updates of resonance parameters almost equal to those of individual resonances. The effect, on the epithermal and total activation of specific nuclides, of large systematic and statistical errors on and, is calculated for a series of nuclides (different I₀/₀ and ) and irradiation facilities (different and _the), and represented graphically.Finally, the effect of important errors on and is calculated for final NAA results in terms of concentrations, botained by a comparator technique based on the¹⁹⁷Au reference nuclide. Conclusions are drawn concerning the impact of the foregoing on the usefulness of comparator type reactor NAA as an alternative to classical NAA using multi-element standards.     

A technique for reducing interferences in epithermal neutron activation analysis

A new epithermal neutron activation technique is described. The technetium is based on the existence of non-overlapping resonance peaks in the neutron absorption cross-section spectra for the nuclides present in the sample to be analyzed. By this method it is possible to reduce some of the interfering activities with respect to the sought activity by using appropriàte filters. An experiment has been carried out to demonstrate the validity of the technique.     

The calculation of neutron self-shielding factors of a group of isolated resonances

The resonance neutron self-shielding factor, G _res, is required in neutron metrology and activation data analysis. In a previous paper, the authors have shown that a dimensionless variable can be introduced which converts the dependence of G _res on the physical and nuclear properties of the material samples into an universal curve, valid for the isolated resonances of any nuclide. This work presents a methodology based on the universal curve, which enables to calculate G _res for a group of isolated resonances by weighting its individual contributions. A good agreement was reached with results calculated by the MCNP code and with experimental values for Mo foils and wires. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Determination of silver using cyclic epithermal neutron activation analysis

A fast pneumatic transfer facility was installed in Nuclear Engineering Teaching Laboratory (NETL) of the University of Texas at Austin for the purpose of cyclic thermal and epithermal neutron activation analysis. In this study efforts were focused on the evaluation of cyclic epithermal neutron activation analysis (CENAA). Various NIST and CANMET certified materials were analyzed by the system. Experiment results showed ¹¹⁰Ag with its 25 s half-life as one of the isotopes favored by the system. Thus, the system was put into practical application in identifying silver in metallic ores. Comparison of sliver concentrations as determined by CENAA in CANMET certified reference materials gave very good results.     

Choice of boron shield in epithermal neutron activation determinations

Boron trioxide, boron nitride, boron carbide and elemental boron giving different boron surface densities have been used as neutron shields in epithermal neutron activation determinations. Boron ratios and advantage factors for 29 nuclides have been determined. A new expression of the advantage factor has been derived from statistics of radioactive decay viewpoint. A real improvement, in comparison with classical neutron activation methods, can be obtained for the determination of As, Br, Cd, I, Mo. Sb, Sn, Th, W and U by use of boron shields.     

Thermal and epithermal neutron activation analysis using the monostandard method

A new approach is presented for neutron activation analysis using the monostandard (single comparator) method. Elements to be determined are classified into two groups; those with σ_o>I_o are activated with whole neutron spectrum (without Cd-cover), using a standard of the same group (e.g. Sc), while elements with I_o>σ_o are activated with epithermal neutrons (under Cd-cover) using a standard of the same group (e.g. Au or Co). Epithermal activation increases the number of determinable elements and its coupling with the monostandard method has the advantage of using a small Cd-cover. The σ_o and I₀ values of some elements were determined to test this approach.     

Simulation study of the channel on correcting neutron self-shielding effect in bulk coal

Neutron self-shielding effect in bulk materials impairs analysis of elements using prompt gamma-rays induced by thermal neutron capture reaction. For the on-line coal analysis setups of Nanjing Dalu Zhongdian Technology Joint-Stock Co., Ltd, Monte-Carlo simulations have been performed to investigate effect of the channel on correcting neutron self-shielding effect and improving measurement of H in coal. The results show that, by introducing an adequate channel in the moderator, the self-shielding effect can be corrected, and the linear concentration region of H can be extended effectively.     

Determination of some elements by epithermal neutron activation analysis for the Arctic aerosol

Summary We have determined nineteen trace elements in 685 aerosol filter samples collected during 1964-1978 in northern Finland by the Finnish Meteorological Institute. In this paper we present some procedures and results for very short (~25 s), short (~3-54 min), and medium (12-35 h) lived isotopes as determined by epithermal NAA in conjunction with and without Compton suppression. Elements with a I_γ/σthratio are favorable to be determined by epithermal NAA. Silver was determined by a one minute epithermal irradiation because of a very short ¹¹⁰Ag half-life. Antimony, arsenic, cobalt, bromine, indium, iodine, potassium, silicon, tin, tungsten, and zinc were determined by a ten minute epithermal irradiation. For silver determination, samples were counted without transferring the filter from the irradiated vial, however, for ten minute irradiation all samples were transferred to a non-irradiated vial and counted both in the normal and Compton mode by the HPGe gamma-spectrometry system with a decay time of about 10 minutes and counting time of 15 minutes. Each day a maximum of 16 samples were irradiated and immediately following the short counting, these samples were loaded into an automatic sample changer in sequence of irradiation and counted for an hour in both normal and Compton modes. This has proven to be an extremely cost effective measure thus reducing the need to employ long-lived NAA to analyze other elements such as Ag, Co, Sn and Zn and Ag for air pollution source receptor modeling.     

Detection limits in epithermal neutron activation analysis of geological material

The improvement of detection limits for trace elements in geological samples by epithermal neutron activation analysis is examined. The relative merits of cadmium, boron and composite cadmium+boron filters are compared for trace elements Ni, As, Pd, Cd, Sb, W, Ir, Pt and Au, and interfering elements Na, K, Sc, Cr, Fe, Co and Cu. A boron filter gives optimum sensitivity for the trace elements based on interference from⁴⁶Sc, but the detection limits are only improved 2–5 times. Ma imum possible improvement, which is shown by Ni, gives sensitivities 5 times better under cadmium and 15 times under boron.     

Chemical characterisations of Anatolian obsidians by instrumental and epithermal neutron activation analysis

Obsidian is a volcanic glass which is generally black, sometimes grey, brown, red or green in colour and characterised by a glassy appearance and conchoidal fractures. It is formed by the sudden cooling of the molten, generally acid magma with high water content. Obsidian was widely used for tool-making during prehistoric times. This work concems the chemical characterisation of obsidian occurrences from Northem, Central and Eastem Anatolia by Instrumental and Epithemal Neutron Activation Analysis for obtaining an accurate fingerprint for discrimination of potential natural sources of raw material that would permit tracing the origin of archaeological obsidian artefacts.