NEUTRON GENERATOR FACILITY AT SFU: GEANT4 DOSE RATE PREDICTION AND VERIFICATION

Area of Science:

• Nuclear physics
• Radiation detection and measurement
• Computational physics

Background:

• Neutron generator facilities require accurate radiation monitoring for safety.
• Monte Carlo simulations are valuable tools for predicting radiation fields.
• Validating simulation models with experimental data is crucial for reliable predictions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To generate detailed neutron dose rate maps for a neutron generator facility.
• To validate the accuracy of the GEANT4 Monte Carlo framework for neutron dose rate predictions.
• To compare simulated dose rates with experimental measurements.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the GEANT4 Monte Carlo framework to simulate neutron transport and generate dose rate maps.
• Conducted radiation surveys during facility commissioning to obtain experimental dose rate measurements.
• Compared simulated dose rates with measured values across various locations within the facility.

Main Results:

• GEANT4 simulations produced detailed neutron dose rate maps for the facility.
• Simulated neutron dose rates agreed with experimental measurements within a factor of 2 in most areas.
• Predictions showed agreement within 10% inside the neutron generator vault when including thermal neutrons.

Conclusions:

• The GEANT4 Monte Carlo framework accurately predicts neutron dose rates in a generator facility.
• The validated model can be used for radiation safety assessments and facility design.
• Accounting for thermal neutrons improves the agreement between simulation and measurement.