Shielding experiments of concrete and iron for the 244 MeV and 387 MeV quasi-mono energetic neutrons using a Bonner sphere spectrometer (at RCNP, Osaka Univ.)

¹ National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-1-1 Umezono, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568, Japan
² Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 O-okayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 152-8350 Japan
³ High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), 1-1Oho, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0801, Japan
⁴ Department of Accelerator Science, Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), 1-1Oho, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0801, Japan
⁵ Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), 2-4 Shirakata,Tokai, Naka, Ibaraki 319-1195, Japan
⁶ Research Reactor Institute, Kyoto University, 2-1010 Asashiro-nishi, Kumatori, Sennan, Osaka 590-0494, Japan
⁷ Research Center for Nuclear Physics (RCNP), Osaka University, 10-1Mihogaoka, Ibaraki, Osaka 567-0047, Japan
⁸ Shimizu Corporation, Etchujima 3-4-17, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-8530, Japan
⁹ Cyclotron and Radioisotope Center, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki, Aoba, Sendai 980-8578, Japan

^a Corresponding author: t-matsumoto@aist.go.jp

Published online: 25 September 2017

Abstract

Neutron energy spectra behind concrete and iron shields were measured for quasi-monoenergetic neutrons above 200 MeV using a Bonner sphere spectrometer (BSS). Quasi-monoenergetic neutrons were produced by the ⁷Li(p,xn) reaction with 246-MeV and 389-MeV protons. Shielding materials are concrete blocks with thicknesses from 25 cm to 300 cm and iron blocks with thicknesses from 10 cm to 100 cm. The response function of BSS was also measured at neutron energies from 100 MeV to 387 MeV. In data analysis, the measured response function was used and the pingpong scattering effect between the BSS and the shielding material was considered. The neutron energy spectra behind the concrete and iron shields were obtained by the unfolding method using the MAXED code. Ambient dose equivalents were obtained as a function of a shield thickness successfully.