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Published on: May 7, 2021
Design and construction of a 9 MeV γ-ray source based on capture of moderated plutonium-beryllium neutrons in nickel
P-A Söderström1, D L Balabanski1, R S Ban2
1Extreme Light Infrastructure-Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP), Horia Hulubei National Institute for R&D in Physics and Nuclear Engineering (IFIN-HH), Reactorului 30, 077125, Bucharest-Măgurele, Romania.
Abstract:
We have designed and constructed a high-energy γ-ray source for detector characterisation and calibration. The source is a composite type based on a plutonium-beryllium neutron emitter embedded in a paraffin moderator, which is homogeneously mixed with nickel powder. The 9 MeV γ-ray source produces approximately 450 photons per second in 4π when 2.2×105 neutrons per second are emitted, corresponding to a surface flux of 9 MeV γ-rays of approximately 2.5×10-6 cm-2 per emitted neutron. Here we discuss the properties and design of this source, including the characterisation of homogeneity and high-energy γ-ray emission spectra.
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