| Issue |
EPJ Web Conf.
Volume 338, 2025
ANIMMA 2025 – Advancements in Nuclear Instrumentation Measurement Methods and their Applications
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Article Number | 04009 | |
| Number of page(s) | 7 | |
| Section | Research Reactors and Particle Accelerators | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/202533804009 | |
| Published online | 06 November 2025 | |
https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/202533804009
Reactor test of beryllium as self-powered neutron detector emitter for fast neutron flux measurement
1 CEA, DES, IRESNE, DER, Cadarache, F-13108 Saint Paul-lez-Durance, France
2 CEA DAM Île-de-France Bruyères-le-Châtel, 91297 Arpajon cedex, France
3 Laboratoire de Physique Corpusculaire, ENSICAEN, 6 Bd Maréchal Juin, 14000 Caen, France
* Corresponding author: loic.barbot@cea.fr
Published online: 6 November 2025
Neutron flux in nuclear reactors causes damages to material components. Fast neutrons, above 1 MeV, modify mechanical and structural properties of materials. Some experiments carried out in research reactors study the ageing of materials exposed to high neutron fluxes. In these experiments, the selective on-line monitoring of fast neutron flux in a water-pool type reactor environment remains a measurement challenge. The aim of this work is to experimentally validate the use self-powered neutron detector technology to monitor fast neutron flux in a water-cooled reactor.
After a systematic review of the periodic element table, beryllium appears to be the most suitable emitter material for measurements sensitive and selective to fast neutrons. Due to its threshold cross section to neutrons and its low interaction probability with gamma rays, beryllium seems the appropriate candidate as emitter material for reactor environment use. Beryllium SPND prototypes were designed and manufactured.
In June 2024, beryllium SPND prototypes have been tested in the Slovenian TRIGA Mark II reactor (Jožef Stefan Institute - JSI). These specific reactor tests in well-characterized irradiation conditions could enforce fast neutron SPNDs as a new option for on-line monitoring of technological irradiations.
Key words: Self-powered neutron detector / SPND / fast neutron / neutron flux measurement
© The Authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2025
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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