Application of CR-39 Track Detector to Neutron Spectrum Measurement

Abstract

A new technique for estimating the neutron energy spectrum with CR-39 track detectors has been proposed for application to a singly pulsed neutron field where prevailing counters cannot operate properly. The CR-39 sample exposed to neutrons was intermittently etched, then the major and minor radii of respective etch pits were measured for each etching stage and the growth curve was obtained. The analysis method of growth curves was also designed, with which both the energy and the angle of recoil protons could be evaluated and converted into the energy of neutrons incident normally.

The neutron irradiation experiments were carried out with the 46 MeV electron linear accelerator at the Research Reactor Institute, Kyoto University. It was confirmed from comparing with the reference spectrum measured by the neutron time-of-flight method that the present growth-curve method is useful for the estimation of the neutron energy distribution between about 0.3 and 2 MeV. Moreover, we have experimentally examined the unfolding method suggested by Matiullah and Durrani in order to extend the application of CR-39 detector to higher energies.

KEYWORDS:

• CR-39
• track detector
• neutron energy spectrum
• intermittent etching technique
• growth curve method
• recoil proton
• radiator
• degrader
• detection efficiency
• unfolding method