Neutron Resonance Analysis

Abstract

The presence of resonance structures in neutron induced reaction cross sections is the basis of Neutron Resonance Transmission Analysis (NRTA) and Neutron Resonance Capture Analysis (NRCA). NRTA and NRCA are powerful non-destructive methods for determining the elemental and isotopic composition of materials and objects. Both methods are non-invasive and do not require any sample preparation. They mostly result in a negligible induced radioactivity of the objects. This is due to the relatively high detection efficiency and the neutron energy spectrum that is needed. The energy positions of the resonance profiles provide qualitative information about the composition, while the contents of the observed resonance peaks in a capture spectrum or the dips in a neutron transmission spectrum give quantitative information about the bulk composition. In this contribution the basic principles of NRTA and NRCA are discussed and a review of applications is given, with an emphasis on studies of archaeological objects and artefacts by NRCA at the time-of-flight facility GELINA.