Evaluation of target photon dose mixed in mono-energetic neutron fields using 7Li(p,n)7Be reaction

Target photons mixed in the 144, 250 and 565 keV mono-energetic neutron calibration fields were measured using a cylindrical NaI(Tl) detector with 7.62 cm both in diameter and in length. The ambient dose equivalent H*(10) of the photons was evaluated by applying the “G(E) function” to the measured pulse height spectrum. Neutrons induce photons by nuclear reactions in the NaI(Tl) detector and affect the pulse height spectrum. In order to eliminate the influence of these neutron events, the time-of-flight technique was applied with operating the accelerator in the pulse mode. The ratios by the ambient dose equivalent H*(10) of the photons to the 144, 250 and 565 keV neutrons were evaluated to be 3.3%, 4.7% and 0.9%, respectively. Although high energy photons ranging from 6 to 7 MeV are emitted by the ¹⁹F(p,αγ)¹⁶O reactions, the dose of the target photons is low enough to calibrate neutron dosemeters except for ones with high sensitivity to the photons.