SIMULATION OF NEUTRON RESPONSE FUNCTIONS OF SILICON SENSOR APPLIED TO REAL-TIME PERSONAL ALBEDO NEUTRON DOSEMETER IN THE ENERGY RANGE BETWEEN 0.01 EV AND 10 KEV.

Neutron response functions of a silicon sensor, which is applied to a new real-time personal albedo neutron dosemeter, have been simulated for low energy neutrons from 0.01 eV to 10 keV using the Monte Carlo technique. The angular neutron response functions were obtained by multiplying simulated neutron energy spectra crossing the neutron sensor and the cross-section of the 6Li(n,t)4He reaction. The neutron response functions have been closed to the dose conversion coefficient of personal doses, Hp(10) recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection by selecting neutrons incident from angles of 105° to 180° with respect to an axis perpendicular to an acrylic phantom surface. From these simulation results, the neutron energy response function has been improved by shielding the sensor with cadmium box without a face toward the phantom. The neutron sensor provides a good conformance to the Hp(10) conversion coefficients within 15% for low energy neutrons.

Development of a real-time neutron beam detector for boron neutron capture therapy using a thin silicon sensor.

We have developed a new real-time neutron detector, which is able to measure a direct neutron beam of boron neutron capture therapy. The detector consists of both a 40-µm-thick pn diode and around 0.09-µm-thick LiF neutron converter. Experimental results indicate that this neutron detector can measure neutron flux up to 1 × 109 (cm-2 s-1), separately from gamma rays around 500 mGy/h. The measured depth distribution of neutron flux in an acrylic block is in agreement with the activation results of gold.

SIMULATED 8 MeV NEUTRON RESPONSE FUNCTIONS OF A THIN SILICON NEUTRON SENSOR.

Neutron response functions of a thin silicon neutron sensor are simulated using PHITS2 and MCNP6 codes for an 8 MeV neutron beam at angles of incidence of 0°, 30° and 60°. The contributions of alpha particles created from the 28Si(n,α)25Mg reaction and the silicon nuclei scattered elastically by neutrons in the silicon sensor have not been well reproduced using the MCNP6 code. The 8 MeV neutron response functions simulated using the PHITS2 code with an accurate event generator mode are in good agreement with experimental results and include the contributions of the alpha particles and silicon nuclei.

Measurement for the dose-rates of the cosmic-ray components on the ground.

In this study, we aimed to measure the directly ionizing component (muons and photons) and the indirectly ionizing component (neutrons) of the cosmic-ray spectra and evaluate their dose rate contribution to the total dose rate on a ground level in Japan. Measurements were carried out in Tohoku University, Japan, from October 2000. The pulse-height spectra of the cosmic-ray photons and muons were measured with a 12.7 cm diameter and 12.7 cm long NaI(Tl) scintillation detector. In order to measure energy spectra of cosmic-ray photons and muons, response functions of the detector to photons and muons were determined by the Monte Carlo simulation codes. The cosmic-ray photon dose was evaluated directly from the measured pulse-height spectrum by using the spectrum weight function, and the cosmic-ray muon dose was evaluated by converting the measured pulse height spectrum into deposited energy within the detector. The quantity of the cosmic-ray electrons is estimated to be very small and is not taken into account in this study. The cosmic-ray neutron spectrum and the neutron dose were measured by using a multi-moderator spectrometer (Bonner ball) and a rem counter. The measurements could finally give the annual absorbed dose in tissue of the cosmic-ray muons of 315 microSv/y and annual ambient doses of the cosmic-ray photons and neutrons on the ground in Japan of 55 microSv/y and 31 microSv/y, respectively.

Simulation of response functions of fast neutron sensors and development of thin neutron silicon sensor.

On radiation detection using silicon sensor, signals are produced from collected charges in a depletion layer; however, for high-energy particles, this depletion layer is extended due to funnelling phenomenon. The lengths of charge collection were experimentally obtained from proton peak energies in measured pulse-heights. The length is extended with increasing proton energy of up to 6 MeV, and then, is constant over 6 MeV. The response functions of fast neutron sensors were simulated for 5- and 15-MeV monoenergetic and (252)Cf neutron sources using the Monte Carlo N-Particle eXtended code. The simulation results agree well with the experimental ones, including the effect of funnelling phenomenon. In addition, a thin silicon sensor was developed for a new real-time personal neutron dosemeter. Photon sensitivity is vanishingly smaller than neutron one by a factor of 5×10(-4).

Two-dimensional differential calibration method for a neutron dosemeter using a thermal neutron beam.

A new thermal neutron calibration method to experimentally determine the energy response function of a neutron detector using a pulse parallel beam and the time-of-flight (TOF) technique is developed. The calibration method was experimentally demonstrated for a (3)He proportional counter and an electric personal dosemeter using a pulsed thermal neutron beam from the research reactor JRR-3M. The responses of the detectors were successfully obtained as a function of neutron energy. However, detailed information on the detector structure is required to obtain the spatial response distribution for the detector. The authors further propose an improved calibration method obtaining the spatial response distribution using a pulsed narrow beam, the TOF technique and a beam scanning technique.

Measuring cosmic-ray exposure in aircraft using real-time personal dosemeters.

Aircrew exposure to radiation was measured on several long-haul flights using two small commercial electronic personal dosemeters: one was a photon dosemeter, the NRF20; the other was a neutron dosemeter, the NRY21-both manufactured by Fuji Electric Systems Co. Ltd. for radiation protection at nuclear facilities. Non-neutron doses were measured using the photon dosemeter, and neutron doses were measured using the neutron dosemeter. The measured non-neutron doses at commercial aviation altitudes agree with the EPCARD (European Program Package for the Calculation of Aviation Route Doses) dose calculation within a difference of 8 %. However, the recorded neutron doses were 5-15 times larger than the EPCARD calculation. These over-measurements are dependent on cut-off rigidities.

Development of a light-weight portable neutron survey meter.

A light-weight portable neutron survey meter was developed using a mixed organic gas counter for dose management at nuclear power plants and accelerator facilities. This survey meter, NSN31041, is ~2 kg in weight and W160×H250×L300 mm(3) in size, which is capable of measuring neutron ambient dose equivalent rate from thermal to 15 MeV neutrons. The neutron energy response of the survey meter is evaluated using continuous energy neutron sources of (252)Cf, (241)Am-Be, thermal neutrons generated from a graphite pile loading a (252)Cf source, concrete-moderated neutrons of (241)Am-Be source and D(2)O-moderated neutrons of (252)Cf source. The measured response data show very good agreement with neutron ambient dose equivalent within a 50 % deviation.