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This communication presents the main results about the design and in-house fabrication of a new solid-state neutron detector, which produces a DC output signal proportional to the thermal neutron fluence rate. The detector has been developed within the framework of the 3-y project NESCOFI@BTF of INFN (CSN V). Due to its sensitivity, photon rejection, low cost and minimum size, this device is suited to be used in moderator-based spectrometers.

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Abstract. The reduction of the nuclear waste is one of the most important nuclear issues. The high radiotoxicity of the spent fuel is due to plutonium and some minor actinides (MAs) such as neptunium, americium and curium, above all. One way to reduce their hazard is to destroy by fission MAs in appropriate nuclear reactors. To allow the MAs destruction an important effort have been done on the nuclear data due to the poor knowledge in this field. In the framework of one of the NEA Expert Group on Integral Experiments for Minor Actinide Management an analysis of the feasibility of MAs irradiation campaign in the TAPIRO fast research reactor is carried out. This paper provides preliminary results obtained by calculations modelling the irradiation, in different TAPIRO irradiation channels, of some CEA samples coming from the French experimental campaign OSMOSE, loaded with different contents of MAs, in order to access, through particular peak spectrometry, to their capture cross section. On the basis of neutron transport calculation results, obtained by both deterministic and Monte Carlo methods, an estimate of the irradiated samples counting levels from the AOSTA (Activation of OSMOSE Samples in TAPIRO) experimental campaign is provided.

This paper presents the results of neutron flux measurements at two irradiation facilities of the TRIGA Mark II reactor at ENEA Casaccia Research Center, Italy. The goal of these measurements is to provide a complete characterization of neutron irradiation facilities for accurate and precise dose evaluation in radiation damage tests and, more generally, for all applications that need a good knowledge of neutron flux in terms of intensity, energy spectrum and spatial distribution. The neutron activation technique is used to measure the activation rates of several reactions, chosen so to cover the whole energy range of neutron flux spectrum. A multi-group neutron flux measurement is obtained through an unfolding algorithm based on a Bayesian statistical model. The obtained results prove that this experimental method allows to measure the total neutron flux within 2% statistical uncertainty, and to get at the same time a good description of its energy spectrum and spatial distribution.