Feasibility of using heavy water in order to design of a photoneutron source based on 5 MeV electron linear accelerator

A reconsideration of photoneutron production through a 5 MeV electron LINAC using MCNP and FLUKA

“…Therefore, due to the drawbacks in the model and the photoneutron cross-sections, it seems necessary to re-examine the previous research works that used the MCNP code (such as [20,21]) in the field of production of a photoneutron source based on an electron LINAC. The present paper is a reconsideration of the research work that was done in the past (Rafiei, 2018) [22]. In 2018, a photoneutron source was simulated based on a 5 MeV electron LINAC using the MCNPX2.6 Monte Carlo code.…”

“…Considering the differences in the energy spectrum of photoneutrons as well as their endpoint energy (both for deuterium and beryllium), it can be said that the research works that have been done in the past in this field need to be re-examined. Therefore, in the present study, a photoneutron source that had simulated a 5 MeV electron LINAC using the MCNPX2.6 code was reconsidered (Rafiei, 2018) [22]. The geometry used in the reference Rafiei, 2018 [22] was simulated again using MCNP6.1 and FLUKA4-3.0 (as shown in figure 11).…”

“…Therefore, in the present study, a photoneutron source that had simulated a 5 MeV electron LINAC using the MCNPX2.6 code was reconsidered (Rafiei, 2018) [22]. The geometry used in the reference Rafiei, 2018 [22] was simulated again using MCNP6.1 and FLUKA4-3.0 (as shown in figure 11). In geometry, tungsten has been employed as an electron-photon converter, heavy water as a photon-neutron converter, and beryllium has been used both as a neutron reflector and as a photon-neutron converter.…”

“…In geometry, tungsten has been employed as an electron-photon converter, heavy water as a photon-neutron converter, and beryllium has been used both as a neutron reflector and as a photon-neutron converter. [22] for production photoneutron (2D view and sizes are not to scale). Adapted from [22].…”

Characterization of photoneutron fluxes emitted by electron accelerators in the 4–20 MeV range using Monte Carlo codes: A critical review

“…D. A. Fynan reported that numerous works [99][100][101][102][103][104][105][106][107] introduce the Wattenberg or Hanson approximations to describe photoneutron kinematics but without discussion nor derivation [57]. Moreover, E. Caro found the photoneutron energy-angle relationship was modelled in MCNP5 [108] using neutron inelastic scattering equations [109], which leads to significant errors especially when the target nucleus is a light particle, i.e.…”