个人中子剂量气泡探测器研制

中子固体气泡探测器被认为是唯一能够满足国际辐射防护委员会ICRP60要求的个人中子剂量计，它具有从低能中子到高能中子的平坦响应曲线和对γ射线不灵敏的优点.本工作将过热液滴均匀地分布在一种软聚合物中，制成了个人中子气泡剂量计,其灵敏度达到每毫雷姆40个气泡.还介绍了个人中子剂量气泡探测器的原理和制作过程.Neutron solid bubble detector was considered as a unique one for meeting the need of the personal neutron dosimeter recommended by International Committee of radiation protection,ICRP60.It has the flat response for neutron from low energy to high energy,and insensitive for gamma rays. In this work,superheated liquid drops were dispersed into a kind of soft polymer homogeneously.A personal neutron bubble dosimeter has been made,and the sensitivity reached to about 40bubbles/mrem.The principle and the processing procedure of bubble detector were also introduced in this paper.     

一种宽能谱多球中子谱仪的研制

利用蒙特卡罗程序MCNPX模拟计算了纯聚乙烯球和加入辅助材料的聚乙烯球对不同能量中子的响应函数曲线,使用计算出来的响应函数作为U-M-G软件解谱所需输入文件。研发了一套专门为此多球谱仪进行数据采集的放大甄别一体化电路,该电路可为SP9管提供900 V的工作高压,甄别阈设为0.5 V,总的放大倍数为200倍。使用研制的Bonner球谱仪对已知源强的Pu-Be中子源进行能谱测量,测量结果显示解出的能谱数据与实际Pu-Be源中子能谱较为符合,实验结果验证了该套多球谱仪可用于测量Pu-Be能区的中子谱。Neutron response of Bonner spheres which include pure polyethylene and polyethylene with auxiliary material was calculated with Monte Carlo code MCNPx, the calculated response was used as the input le of U-M-G code for neutronspectrum unfolding. A special screening of ampli cation integrated circuits was developed, which can provides high voltage 900 V working for the SP9 tube, the screening threshold is set to 0.5 V and total magni cation is 200. Neutron energy spectrum of a Pu-Be source were measured with the developed Bonner spheres spectrometer,good agreement was found in the measured result of the spectrum datasolutionand the real spectrum, which indicated that the multi-sphere spectrometer was reliable in the neutron measurement at energy region of Pu-Be neutron source.     

Simulation of the response functions of an extended rangeneutron multisphere spectrometer using FLUKA

In this paper, the distribution of radiation field in the CSNS spectrometer hall at Dongguan, China, was simulated by the FLUKA program. The results show that the radiation field of the high energy proton accelerator is dominated by neutron radiation, with a broad range of neutron energies, spanning about eleven orders of magnitude. Simulation and calculation of the response functions of four Bonner spheres with a simplified model is done with FLUKA and MCNPX codes respectively, proving the feasibility of the FLUKA program for this application and the correctness of the calculation method. Using the actual model, we simulate and calculate the energy response functions of Bonner sphere detectors with polyethylene layers of different diameters, including detectors with lead layers, using the FLUKA code. Based on the simulation results, we select eleven detectors as the basic structure for an Extended Range Neutron Multisphere Spectrometer (ERNMS).     

Simulation of a modified neutron detector applied in CSNS

We simulate the response of a modified Anderson-Braun rem counter in the energy range from thermal energy to about 10 GeV using the FLUKA code. Also, we simulate the lethargy spectrum of CSNS outside the beam dump. Traditional BF3 tube is replaced by the 3He tube, a layer of 0.6 cm lead is added outside the boron doped plastic attenuator and a sphere configuration is adopted. The simulation result shows that its response is exactly fit to H＊（10） in the neutron energies between 10 keV and approximately 1 GeV, although the monitor slightly underestimates H＊（10） in the energy range from thermal energy to about 10 keV. According to the characteristics of the CSNS, this modified counter increases the neutron energy response by 30% compared with the traditional monitors, and it can be applied in other kinds of stray field rich of high eeergy neutrons.     

中子皮厚度与中子星半径

在相对论平均场理论框架下在拉氏量密度中引入同位旋相关的高阶修正项, 研究了中子皮厚度和中子星半径的关系. 利用有效相互作用PK1得到208Pb的中子皮厚度最小可达0.17 fm, 这与近期Skyrme HF模型得到的结果一致. 随着同位旋相关的高阶修正项系数的变化, 208Pb的中子皮厚度和中子星半径的变化趋势相同. By adding isospin dependent high order correction ferms to existing relativistic mean field models．tlle thickness of neuron．skin in 208Pb and the radius of 1.4 solar mass neutron star are studied．The effecfive interaction PK1 would lead the thickness of neutron-skin to a minimum of 0.17 fm which agrees with the analysis from Skyrme‘HF models． The coupling constants of the isospin dependent high order corection terms tend to change，the thickness of neutron-skin and the radius of neutron stars chan ge simultaneously.     

锂玻璃探测器中子探测效率的刻度

为了精确测量keV能区的中子俘获截面,中国原子能科学研究院正在建造一台4π 全吸收型γ 探测装置---GTAF,锂玻璃探测器将会作为中子束流监视器测量中子能谱。利用5SDH-2 加速器刻度了锂玻璃探测器在两个入射中子单能点(250 和565 keV) 的探测效率,并使用EANT4 和MCNP 程序模拟计算了锂玻璃探测器的相对探测效率。通过归一化实验数据和模拟结果,得到了锂玻璃探测器在10keV~1 MeV 能区的中子探测效率曲线。对于把锂玻璃探测器测量得到的飞行时间谱转化为中子束流能谱,是一项非常重要的工作,同时为探测器效率刻度提供了新方法。In order to accurately measure the neutron capture cross section in the energy range of keVMeV, 4 πgamma-ray total absorption facility (GTAF) is being constructed at China Institute of Atomic Energy (CIAE). The lithium glass detector will be used as a neutron beam monitor for GTAF. The detection efficiency of the lithium glass detector at two incident neutron energy points (250, 565 keV) was calibrated in 5SDH-2 accelerator, and the relative detection efficiency was simulated by GEANT4 and MCNP code. By the normalization of the experimental data and simulation result, the neutron detection efficiency curve of the lithium glass detector between 10 keV and 1 MeV was obtained. This work will be important to convert the Time-of-flight spectrum that be measured by Li-glass detector to the energy spectrum of neutron beam, and provide the new method for calibration of detection efficiency.     

PGNAA系统中D-T中子管的慢化装置优化设计

为了提高PGNAA系统中D-T中子管的中子慢化效率,获得更高的热中子产额,借助蒙特卡罗模拟,确定了以铅为中子反射层、5个聚乙烯层和铅层相互交替作为中子慢化层、碳化硼含量为3%的含硼聚乙烯作为中子吸收层以及铅作为γ屏蔽层的中子慢化装置模型。针对中子产额为3×107 n/s 的D-T中子管,该慢化装置输出面低于5 eV中子通量可达5.28×106 n/s,占总中子通量的30.8%,有效提高了中子慢化效率。经过验证模拟结果能够满足实验要求。To improve the moderating efficiency of D-T Neutron Generator in PGNAA system, and get higher thermal neutron yield, the Monte Carlo code MCNP was used to optimize the moderation setup. The lead was selected as neutron reflector and gamma absorber, 5 polyethylene layers and 4 lead layers constituted the neutron moderator and 3% boron-doping polyethylene was selected as neutron absorber. For the yield of 3107 n/s D-T Neutron Generator, this moderation setup can provide a yield of lower than 5 eV of 5.28106 n/s, accounting for 30.8% of total neutron yield, dramatically improves the moderating efficiency. It is proved that the simulation results can satisfy the requirement of PGNAA system by preliminary experimental verification.     

Study of neutron spectra in a water bath from a Pb target irradiated by 250 MeV protons

Spallation neutrons were produced by the irradiation of Pb with 250 MeV protons. The Pb target was surrounded by water which was used to slow down the emitted neutrons. The moderated neutrons in the water bath were measured by using the resonance detectors of Au, Mn and In with a cadmium (Cd) cover. According to the measured activities of the foils, the neutron flux at different resonance energies were deduced and the epithermal neutron spectra were proposed. Corresponding results calculated with the Monte Carlo code MCNPX were compared with the experimental data to check the validity of the code. The comparison showed that the simulation could give a good prediction for the neutron spectra above 50 eV, while the finite thickness of the foils greatly effected the experimental data in low energy. It was also found that the resonance detectors themselves had great impact on the simulated energy spectra.     

Measurement of the neutron spectrum of a Pu-C source with a liquid scintillator

The neutron response function for a BC501A liquid scintillator （LS） has been measured using a series of monoenergetic neutrons produced by the p-T reaction. The proton energies were chosen such as to produce neutrons in the energy range of 1 to 20 MeV. The principles of the technique of unfolding a neutron energy spectrum by using the measured neutron response function and the measured Pulse Height （PH） spectrum is briefly described. The PH spectrum of neutrons from the Pu-C source, which will be used for the calibration of the reactor antineutrino detectors for the Daya Bay neutrino experiment, was measured and analyzed to get the neutron energy spectrum. Simultaneously the neutron energy spectrum of an Am-Be source was measured and compared with other measurements as a check of the result for the Pu-C source. Finally, an error analysis and a discussion of the results are given.     

一种宽能谱多球中子谱仪能量响应的MC模拟

利用蒙特卡罗程序FLUKA模拟计算了聚乙烯慢化球和辅助材料慢化球对低能中子到高能中子的响应函数曲线。结果表明,对纯聚乙烯球来说,随着聚乙烯层厚度的增加,响应曲线峰逐步右移,峰值在高能区有所下降,对20 Me V以上的中子,无论纯聚乙烯球的尺寸有多大,其响应均下降到很低的程度;对辅助材料慢化球来说,中子能量小于1 Me V时,辅助材料慢化球与聚乙烯慢化球的响应曲线相似,但当中子能量大于20 Me V时,中子与辅助材料层发生(n,xn)反应,慢化球的响应呈显著上升趋势。分析计算结果,最终能够确定宽能谱多球中子谱仪的尺寸组合。     

热中子分析探雷的中子源慢化装置设计与优化

与传统的地雷探测技术相比,热中子分析(Thermal Neutron Analysis,简称TNA) 探雷技术具有准确率高、虚警率低和对环境适应性强的特点,但探测速度较慢,制约了其广泛应用。为了提高地雷位置处的慢热中子通量,缩短探测时间,提出了一种基于252Cf 的中子源慢化装置设计构型,主要包含中子慢化层、中子反射层、本底 屏蔽层和侧向中子吸收层4 个部分。采用数值模拟的方法比较了4种常用中子慢化(反射) 材料的性能,优选高密度聚乙烯作为慢化材料,石墨作为反射材料。同时,为了满足辐射安全要求,对屏蔽材料的结构进行了优化计算。按照设计构型搭建了TNA 探雷实验平台。在104 n/s 中子源强下优化了慢化层和反射层的厚度,测试了装置慢化效能,在107 n/s 中子源强下评估了装置辐射安全性能。结果表明,采用该装置可使地雷位置处的慢热中子通量提升11 倍以上,并能有效保障辐射安全。Compared with the traditional landmine detection methods, Thermal Neutron Analysis (TNA) landmine detection has the advantages of high accuracy, low false alarm rate and strong adaptability to the environmental change.But the long detection time restrict the wide application of this technology. In order to shorten the detection time, one possible design of neutron moderation device based on 252Cf neutron source is proposed to enhance the moderated neutronflux in mine position. The device consists of four parts, the neutron moderator, the neutron reflector, the background shield and the useless neutron absorbing layer. Then, the performance of four widely used materials in neutronics was compared with MCNP5 code, and HDPE was chosen as the neutron moderator material, graphite as the neutron reflector material. The thickness of the useless neutron absorbing layer was optimized at the same time. Finally, an experimental platform of 252Cf neutron moderation device was assembled on the basis of simulation results, and a series of experiments were carried out to optimize the geometric dimensions and evaluate the dose equivalent with two different strengths neutron source, 104 and 107 n/s. The results indicate that this device can effectively enhance the thermal neutron flux at mine position by more than 11 times and ensure the radiation safety.     

4He闪烁裂变中子探测器的中子灵敏度

对4He闪烁裂变中子探测器的中子灵敏度进行了理论和实验研究。采用蒙特卡罗方法模拟了不同能量中子和不同厚度裂变靶产生的裂变碎片在4He中的能量沉积,计算结果表明:中子在4He气中的能量沉积曲线和裂变碎片的能量沉积曲线能够互补,从而使探测器对中子的能量响应变得更平坦;探测器的中子灵敏度为10-15 Ccm2量级。并对探测器的中子灵敏度进行了实验标定,实验结果与理论计算结果较为一致。     

Edge localized modes of cold neutrons in periodic condensed media

It is found that for certain energies of discreet cold neutrons, quasi-stationary eigen solutions of the corresponding Schrodinger equation, which are localized in the layer of a periodic medium, exist. The localization time of these solutions is strongly dependent on the layer thickness, being finite for a finite layer thickness and increasing indefinitely upon a infinite growth of the layer thickness as the third power of the layer thickness. The problem has been solved in the two-wave approximation of the dynamic diffraction theory for the neutron propagation direction coinciding with the periodicity axes (normal incidence of the neutron beam on the layer). The expressions for neutron eigenwave functions in a periodic medium, the reflection and transmission coefficients, and the neutron wavefunction in the layer as a function of the neutron energy incident on the layer have been determined. It turns out that for the certain discrete neutron energies, the amplitudes of the neutron wavefunction in the layer reach sharp maxima. The corresponding energies are just outside of the neutron stop band (energies forbidden for neutron propagation in the layer) and determine the energies of neutron edge modes (NEMs) localized in the layer, which are direct analogs of the optical edge modes for photonic crystals. The dispersion equation for the localized neutron edge modes has been obtained and analytically solved for the case of thick layers. A rough estimate for the localization length L is L ~(db N)^–1, where b is the neutron scattering length, d is the crystal period, and N is the density of nuclei in the crystal. The estimates of the localized thermal neutron lifetime show that acheaving of a lifetime close to the free neutron lifetime seems nonrealistic due to absorption of thermal neutrons and requires a perfect large size crystal. Nevertheless, acheaving the localized neutron lifetime exceeding by ~10⁴ times the neutron time of flight through the layer appears as experimentally attainable. The perspectives of the NEM observation are briefly discussed. It is proposed to use NEM for ultrahigh thermal neutron monochromatization by means of NEM excitation in perfect single crystals.     

Neutron dosimetric measurements in shuttle and MIR

Detector packages consisting of thermoluminescence detectors (TLD), nuclear emulsions and plastic track detectors were exposed at identical positions inside MIR space station and on shuttle flights inside Spacelab and Spacehab during different phases of the solar cycle. The objectives of the investigations are to provide data on charge and energy spectra of heavy ions, and the contribution of events with low-energy deposit (protons, electrons, gamma, etc.) to the dose, as well as the contribution of secondaries, such as nuclear disintegration stars and neutrons. For neutron dosimetry 6LiF (TLD600) and 7LiF (TLD700) chips were used both of which have almost the same response to gamma rays but different response to neutrons. Neutrons in space are produced mainly in evaporation and knock-on processes with energies mainly of 1-10 MeV and up to several 100 MeV, respectively. The energy spectrum undergoes continuous changes toward greater depth in the attenuating material until an equilibrium is reached. In equilibrium, the spectrum is a wide continuum extending down to thermal energies to which the 6LiF is sensitive. Based on the difference of absorbed doses in the 6LiF and 7LiF chips, thermal neutron fluxes from 1 to 2.3 cm-2 s-1 are calculated using the assumption that the maximum induced dose in TLD600 for 1 neutron cm-2 is 1.6 x 10(-10) Gy (Horowitz and Freeman, Nucl. Instr. and Meth. 157 (1978) 393). It is assumed that the flux of high-energy neutrons is at least of that quantity. Tissue doses were calculated taking as a mean ambient absorbed dose per neutron 6 x10(-12) Gy cm2 (for a10 MeV neutron). The neutron equivalent doses for the above-mentioned fluxes are 52 micro Gy d-1 and 120 micro Gy d-1. In recent experiments, a personal neutron dosimeter was integrated into the dosimeter packages. First results of this dosimeter which is based on nuclear track detectors with converter foils are reported. For future measurements, a scintillator counter with anticoincidence logic is under development.     

组合闪烁探测系统的中子能量响应研究

组合闪烁探测系统由"Pb过滤片加塑料闪烁探测器"组成. 采用直流标定方法,实验研究了ST401、ST1422、ST1423组合探测系统对0.565MeV-14.16MeV能量范围的6个能点的中子灵敏度,得到了探测系统的中子灵敏度随Pb过滤片厚度的变化、随闪烁体厚度的变化和随中子能量的变化关系. 利用理论计算和实验测量结果相结合,获得了3种组合闪烁探测系统的中子灵敏度能量响应曲线.     

Method for Monitoring of Neutron Fields near High-Energy Accelerators

The monitoring of neutron radiation from high-energy accelerators cannot fully rely on the standard dosimeters and radiometers manufactured in Russia, since these are sensitive only to neutrons with energies below some 10 MeV. This is because neutrons of higher energies can significantly contribute to the personnel doses both close to the accelerator shield and in the neutron multiscattered field around the shield. In this paper, we propose to measure the ambient neutron dose in energy range 10^–2 MeV to 1 GeV with a device consisting of two polyethylene balls with diameters of 3 and 10 in. housing slow-neutron detectors. The larger ball also comprises a lead converter (10'' + Pb). This device can be implemented in zonal radiation monitoring in the near-accelerator area.     

ST-401薄塑料闪烁体中子能量响应测量技术研究

利用中国原子能科学研究院核工业放射性计量测试中心的5SDH-2串列加速器进行了ST-401薄塑料闪烁体的能量响应实验.选用T(p,n)³He反应和D(d,n)³He反应作为中子源，子源，中子束流采用复合屏蔽体进行准直，源强采用正比计数管和半导体望远镜进行监测，实验测量了厚度从0.16mm到2.00mm的八种规格薄闪烁体的能量响应曲线，对实验的结果的不确定度进行了分析.结果表明探测器的灵敏度随着晶体厚度的增加而增加，对于一定厚度的薄闪烁体，随着中子能量的增加，探测器的能量响应曲线坡度不大. 关键词： 塑料闪烁体 能量响应 正比计数器 半导体反冲质子望远镜     

Neutron production at the heavy ion research facility in Lanzhou

In this work,the neutron radiation field at Heavy Ion Research Facility in Lanzhou (HIRFL) was investigated.Total neutron yields,spectra and angular distributions in the bombardment of various thick targets by 12C and 18O ions with energies up to 75 MeV/u were obtained using the activation method.The neutron dose equivalent rates of 60 MeV/u 18O on various thick targets at different angles were measured with a modified A-B remmeter.Our results are compared with those of other reports.     

Neutron Reflectometry Studies of ZnO Films

Textured Al-doped ZnO films are studied using neutron reflectometry. The films are quasiperiodic structures with a period of several nanometers. The films are inhomogeneous in a surface layer with a thickness of 10–20 nm.