Present Status of Monoenergetic Neutron Production Technology and Reference Radiation Fields
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摘要: 中子是研究原子核结构、核反应规律、粒子物理、天体物理和物质结构的重要工具,广泛应用于能源、材料、生命科学、医疗健康、辐射防护和半导体等领域。其中,单能中子在电离辐射计量和核能应用领域发挥着越来越重要的作用,因此各国国家计量院和核科学研究机构均建有单能中子参考辐射场。中国计量科学研究院将在未来3至5年内新建这一装置,以完善我国中子计量体系,开展中子物理基础研究和服务各界对单能中子的相关需求。基于最新版本的ISO
8529 -1:2021,针对中国计量科学研究院建设单能中子参考辐射场的需求,梳理和计算了单能中子领域最常用的五种核反应在中子能量、中子产额、中子角分布和伴生γ射线本底等方面的参数,整理了现有单能中子参考辐射场的概况和特点,介绍了单能中子参考辐射场常用的主要设备,并给出了中国计量科学研究院拟建单能中子参考辐射场的重要参数。Abstract: Neutrons are essential tools for studying nuclear structure, nuclear reaction laws, particle physics, astrophysics, and material structure. They are widely applied in fields such as energy, materials, life sciences, medical health, radiation protection, and semiconductors. Monoenergetic neutrons, in particular, play an increasingly crucial role in ionizing radiation metrology and nuclear energy applications. Consequently, national metrology institutes and nuclear research facilities worldwide have established monoenergetic neutron reference radiation fields. The National Institute of Metrology, China (NIM) plans to construct such a facility within the next 3 to 5 years to enhance China's neutron metrology system, conduct fundamental neutron physics research, and meet the diverse needs for monoenergetic neutrons across various sectors. Based on the latest ISO 8529-1:2021 standard and in response to NIM's requirements for building a monoenergetic neutron reference radiation field, this paper reviews and calculates parameters for the five most common nuclear reactions used in monoenergetic neutron production. These parameters include neutron energy, neutron yield, neutron angular distribution, and accompanying γ-ray background. The paper also summarizes the current status and characteristics of existing monoenergetic neutron reference radiation fields, introduces the primary equipment commonly used in these fields, and provides important parameters for the proposed monoenergetic neutron reference radiation field at NIM. -
图 3 入射粒子为2.926MeV质子,靶为0.005 mg·cm−2金属钪时,核反应45Sc(p, n)45Ti中子产额随出射角度变化趋势
Figure 3. The trend of neutron yield from the nuclear reaction 45Sc(p, n)45Ti with the emission angle when the incident particles are protons with energy of 2.926MeV and the target is scandium with mass thickness of 0.005 mg·cm−2
表 1 用于确定中子测量仪器能量响应的中子辐射
Table 1. Neutron radiations for determining the response of neutron-measuring devices as a function of neutron energy
中子能量/MeV 产生方式 0.002 反应堆钪过滤中子束或利用加速器通过45Sc(p,n)45Ti反应产生的中子 0.008* 利用加速器通过45Sc(p,n)45Ti反应产生的中子 0.024* 反应堆铁-铝过滤中子束或利用加速器通过45Sc(p,n)45Ti和7Li(p,n)7Be反应产生的中子 通过改变角度,45Sc(p,n)45Ti反应可产生0.024MeV和0.027MeV中子 还可通过使用124Sb-Be(γ,n)核素中
子源产生0.0228 MeV中子0.144 反应堆硅过滤中子束或利用加速器通过T(p,n)3He和7Li(p,n)7Be反应产生的中子 0.25 利用加速器通过T(p,n)3He和7Li(p,n)7Be
反应产生的中子0.565 利用加速器通过T(p,n)3He和7Li(p,n)7Be
反应产生的中子1.2 利用加速器通过T(p,n)3He反应产生的中子 2.5 利用加速器通过T(p,n)3He反应产生的中子 2.8 利用加速器通过D(d,n)3He反应产生的中子 5.0 利用加速器通过D(d,n)3He反应产生的中子 14.8 利用加速器通过T(d,n)4He反应产生的中子 17.0* 利用加速器通过T(d,n)4He反应产生的中子 19.0 利用加速器通过T(d,n)4He反应产生的中子 注:* ISO 8529 -1:2021推荐中子能量点相较前一版本的修订之处,另一处修改为将热中子移出该表。表 2 产生单能中子的5种常用核反应及其重要参数
Table 2. Five nuclear reactions used to produce monoenergetic neutrons and their important parameters
核反应 反应能/MeV Eth/MeV ${E}_{\mathrm{t}\mathrm{h}}' $/MeV 激发态或
三体反应激发态或三体
反应阈能/MeV0°单能中子
能量范围/MeV180°单能中子
能量范围/MeV45Sc(p,n)45Ti −2.8444 2.9081 2.9095 45Sc(p,n)45Ti* 2.9461 0.0055 ~ 0.0530.000 ~ 0.023 7Li(p,n)7Be −1.644 1.881 1.920 7Li(p,n)7Be* 2.378 0.12 ~ 0.65 0.00 ~ 0.19 T(p,n)3He −0.764 1.109 1.148 T(p,np)D 8.355 0.29 ~ 7.59 0.00 ~ 1.70 D(d,n)3He +3.269 0.000 0.000 D(d,np)D 4.451 2.45 ~ 7.71 2.45 ~ 1.64 T(d,n)4He +17.589 0.000 0.000 T(d,np)T 3.711 14.03 ~ 20.46 14.03 ~ 11.76 表 3 单能中子参考辐射场所在机构
Table 3. Institutes with monoenergetic neutron reference radiation fields
中子能量/MeV 核反应 靶 机构 0.002 45Sc(p,n)45Ti Sc IRSN 0.008 45Sc(p,n)45Ti Sc FRS 0.024 45Sc(p,n)45Ti Sc IRSN 7Li(p,n)7Be LiF NIMJ LiOH PTB 0.027 45Sc(p,n)45Ti Sc FRS, NPL 0.144 7Li(p,n)7Be LiF CIAE, FRS, IRSN, KIGAM, NIMJ, NPL LiOH PTB 0.250 7Li(p,n)7Be LiF CIAE, FRS, IRMM, IRSN, KIGAM, NPL LiOH PTB 0.565 7Li(p,n)7Be LiF CIAE, FRS, IRMM, IRSN, KIGAM, NIMJ, NPL LiOH PTB 1.2 T(p,n)3He Ti(T) CIAE, FRS, IRMM, IRSN, NPL, PTB 2.5 T(p,n)3He Ti(T) FRS, IRMM, IRSN, KIGAM, NPL, PTB D(d,n)3He Ti(D) NIMJ 2.8 T(p,n)3He Ti(T) IRSN D(d,n)3He Ti(D) IRSN 5.0 D(d,n)3He Ti(D) IRMM, IRSN, NIMJ, NPL D2-gas FRS, PTB 8.0 D(d,n)3He Ti(D) IRMM D2-gas PTB 9Be(α,n)12C Be NIMJ 14.8 T(d,n)4He Ti(T) FRS, IRMM, IRSN, NIMJ, PTB 16.5 T(d,n)4He Ti(T) IRMM, NPL 17.0 T(d,n)4He Ti(T) N/A 19.0 T(d,n)4He Ti(T) IRMM, IRSN, PTB 表 4 单能中子参考辐射场实验大厅和加速器参数表
Table 4. Parameters for the experimental halls and accelerators of the monoenergetic neutron reference radiation fields
机构 实验厅长×宽×高(m) 加速器 CIAE 13.5×10×7 2×1.7MV Tandetron FRS 16.5×11.5×12.5 4MV Pelletron IRMM NA 7MV Van de Graaff IRSN 20×20×16 2×2MV Tandetron KIGAM 7.6×7.5×6.6 2×1.7MV Tandem NIMJ 11.5×11.5×11.5 4MV Pelletron和Cockcroft-Walton NPL 24×18×18 3.5MV Van de Graaff PTB 30×24×14 2×2MV Tandetron 表 5 中国计量科学研究院拟建单能中子参考辐射场能量点
Table 5. Neutron energies of the monoenergetic neutron reference radiation field to be built at the National Institute of Metrology, China
中子能量点/MeV 核反应 靶 角度 0.002 45Sc(p,n)45Ti Sc 70° 0.008 45Sc(p,n)45Ti Sc 70° 0.024 45Sc(p,n)45Ti Sc 40° 7Li(p,n)7Be LiF 76.5° 0.144 7Li(p,n)7Be LiF 0° 0.25 7Li(p,n)7Be LiF 0° 0.565 7Li(p,n)7Be LiF 0° 1.2 T(p,n)3He Ti(T) 0° 2.5 T(p,n)3He Ti(T) 0° 2.8 T(p,n)3He Ti(T) 0° 5 D(d,n)3He Ti(D) 0° 8* 9Be(α,n)12C Be 0° 14.8 T(d,n)4He Ti(T) 0° 17 T(d,n)4He Ti(T) 0° 19 T(d,n)4He Ti(T) 0° 注:*非单能中子。 -
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