Calculated Response Functions for a Fiber Optic Neutron Spectrometer

R.J. McConn Jr; M. Bliss; R.I. Scherpelz; D.V. Jordan; and D.S. Barnett (Pacific Northwest National Lab)

PNNL has developed a neutron detector using layers of optical fibers. The initial use of this instrument was the identification of different neutron source materials. This instrument is now being applied to neutron spectrometry, by coupling neutron deconvolution software with response functions for the individual detection layers. The system has been modeled with the MCNP radiation transport software to determine the theoretical response functions. Experimental measurements were then completed using several sources in a low scattering environment. By comparing the theoretical results with the experimental results the MCNP model is validated to allow the reliable estimation of the system response functions for different geometries. This presentation describes the modeling efforts and gives preliminary results of a comparison of calculated and experimental data. *Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is operated for the U.S. Department of Energy by Battelle under Contract DE-AC06-76RLO 1830.

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