Determination of the Deuterium-Tritium (D-T) Generator Neutron Flux using Multi-foil Neutron Activation Analysis Method

Abstract

The deuterium-tritium (D-T) neutron flux from a Thermo-Fisher™ MP320 neutron generator was determined experimentally in this study. Fast neutron flux from a neutron generator can be measured indirectly using multi-foil activation analysis. Two sets of 12 activation foils each were prepared to cover a broad energy range of fast neutrons (1 -15 MeV), and spectral peak analysis was performed on each activated foil with a mechanically-cooled HPGe detector. A non-negative solution of a linear least squares problem was solved to find a neutron flux energy distribution. The neutron yields of the high-yield (60 μA−90 kV) and low-yield (30 μA−70 kV) settings were determined to be 1.73×10 8 n/s and 2.28×10 7 n/s, respectively. Uncertainties on these neutron yields were estimated using the BC400 scintillator count rates whose fluctuations throughout the irradiations were described by the standard deviations of 10.6 and 8.5%, respectively. Linear relationships between the MP320's neutron flux and a BC400 scintillator as well as a SWENDI-2 neutron dose meter were also derived to utilize them as on-line neutron flux monitors in the future.