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Updated: Aug 8, 2026

Speciation and Bioavailability Measurements of Environmental Plutonium Using Diffusion in Thin Films
Published on: November 9, 2015
Neutron and gamma-ray spectra of 239PuBe and 241AmBe
Héctor René Vega-Carrillo1, Eduardo Manzanares-Acuña, Ana María Becerra-Ferreiro
1Unidadé Académicaé, Estudios Nucleares, Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas, Zac, Mexico. rvega@cantera.reduaz.mx
Abstract:
Neutron and gamma-ray spectra of 239PuBe and 241AmBe were measured and their dosimetric features were calculated. Neutron spectra were measured using a multisphere neutron spectrometer with a 6LiI(Eu) scintillator. The 239PuBe neutron spectrum was measured in an open environment, while the 241AmBe neutron spectrum was measured in a closed environment. Gamma-ray spectra were measured using a NaI(Tl) scintillator using the same experimental conditions for both sources. The effect of measuring conditions for the 241AmBe neutron spectrum indicates the presence of epithermal and thermal neutrons. The low-resolution neutron spectra obtained with the multisphere spectrometer allows one to calculate the dosimetric features of neutron sources. At 100 cm both sources produce approximately the same count rate as that of the 4.4 MeV gamma-ray per unit of alpha emitter activity.
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