The neutron flux is a crucial parameter to know in the analysis of a nuclear reactor, because it affects the reaction rate and thus the fuel burnup. Moreover, a very precise knowledge of the flux in the irradiation facilities is helpful for benchmarking the simulation models of the reactor. In this paper, we present the results of the measurements of the neutron flux in three irradiation facilities of the TRIGA Mark II reactor installed at the University of Pavia. The neutron activation analysis of samples containing a large number of elements was used to perform an absolute measurement of the flux. The -ray spectroscopy measurements were repeated on different HPGe detectors and GEANT4 Monte Carlo simulations were developed to evaluate the detection efficiency for every radioisotope of interest. The very good agreement among the results of the flux calculations from the many different activated isotopes confirms the reliability of the methodology.
Absolute Flux Measurement by NAA at the Pavia University TRIGA MARK II Reactor Facilities
CAMMI, ANTONIO;
2012-01-01
Abstract
The neutron flux is a crucial parameter to know in the analysis of a nuclear reactor, because it affects the reaction rate and thus the fuel burnup. Moreover, a very precise knowledge of the flux in the irradiation facilities is helpful for benchmarking the simulation models of the reactor. In this paper, we present the results of the measurements of the neutron flux in three irradiation facilities of the TRIGA Mark II reactor installed at the University of Pavia. The neutron activation analysis of samples containing a large number of elements was used to perform an absolute measurement of the flux. The -ray spectroscopy measurements were repeated on different HPGe detectors and GEANT4 Monte Carlo simulations were developed to evaluate the detection efficiency for every radioisotope of interest. The very good agreement among the results of the flux calculations from the many different activated isotopes confirms the reliability of the methodology.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
