Progress of Filtered Neutron Beams Development and Applications at the Horizontal Channels No.2 and No.4 of Dalat Nuclear Research Reactor

Abstract

The neutron filter technique has been applied to create mono-energetic neutron beams with high intensity, at the horizontal channels No.2 and No.4 of the Dalat nuclear research reactor. The mono-energetic neutron beams that have been developed for researches and applications are thermal (0.025eV), 24keV, 54keV, 59keV, 133keV and 148keV. The relative intensities of main peak in filtered neutron energy spectra and the collimated neutron fluxes at the sample irradiation positions are 90 ¸ 96% and 2.8×105 ¸ 7.8×106 n/cm2.s, respectively. Monte Carlo simulations and transmission calculations were performed to each neutron energy beam for optimal design of geometrical structure and neutron filter materials. These filtered neutron beams have been applied efficiently for experimental researches on neutron total and capture cross sections measurements, and elemental analysis in various kinds of samples based on the prompt gamma neutron activation analysis method. This paper reviews the progress of filtered neutron beams development and its applications for past many years at the Dalat nuclear research reactor.