Neutron Spectrum Measurements in the Aluminum Oxide Filtered Beam Facility at the Brookhaven Medical Research Reactor

Abstract

Neutron spectrum measurements were performed on the aluminum oxide filter installed in the Brookhaven Medical Research Reactor (BMRR). For these measurements, activation foils were irradiated at the exit port of the beam facility. A technique based on dominant resonances in selected activation reactions was used to measure the epithermal neutron spectrum. The fast and intermediate-energy ranges of the neutron spectrum were measured by threshold reactions and 10B-shielded 235U fission reactions. Neutron spectral data were derived from the activation data by two approaches: (1) a short analysis which yields neutron flux values at the energies of the dominant or primary resonances in the epithermal activation reactions and integral flux data for neutrons above corresponding threshold or pseudo-threshold energies, and (2) the longer analysis which utilized all the activation data in a full-spectrum, unfolding process using the FERRET spectrum adjustment code. This paper gives a brief description of the measurement techniques, analysis methods, and the results obtained.