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Calibration of a Fast Neutron Time-of-Flight System

Morales Urrutia, Armando Javier LU (2021) FYSM30 20202
Nuclear physics
Department of Physics
Abstract
Future experiments with thermal neutrons at neutron facilities may encounter fast neutrons as sources of background. Understanding fast neutron behavior on an event-by-event basis in a detector is important for these complementary thermal neutron experiments. One way to study fast neutron events is by performing a time-of-flight measurement. In this thesis, a calibration of a neutron time-of-flight spectrum using emissions from an Actinide/Beryllium source was performed. Neutron kinetic energies were determined using the neutron-tagging technique, where each fast neutron was correlated to a gamma-ray from the decay of the first excited state of Carbon. The results indicate the technique functions as expected.
Popular Abstract
Armando Javier Morales

Neutron detectors as an extension to human senses

We can think of our different human senses as different types of detectors. For example, our eyes detect visible light, our ears detect sound waves, and our noses detect odours. As useful and diverse as our inherent human detectors are, they only offer us a limited range of information about the natural world. If we want to know about hidden aspects of our universe, such as the behavior of atoms and nuclei, we need highly specialized detectors sensitive to different types of particles.

Some of these particles, like neutrons and gamma-rays, are so elusive to us that we cannot even detect them directly – we observe their effects on other matter instead.... (More)
Armando Javier Morales

Neutron detectors as an extension to human senses

We can think of our different human senses as different types of detectors. For example, our eyes detect visible light, our ears detect sound waves, and our noses detect odours. As useful and diverse as our inherent human detectors are, they only offer us a limited range of information about the natural world. If we want to know about hidden aspects of our universe, such as the behavior of atoms and nuclei, we need highly specialized detectors sensitive to different types of particles.

Some of these particles, like neutrons and gamma-rays, are so elusive to us that we cannot even detect them directly – we observe their effects on other matter instead. Neutrons are a particularly useful probe of matter at the atomic scale. They can tell us information about matter that no other particle can. For these reasons, specific neutron detectors are built and it is important to understand the behavior of neutrons in these detectors. Thus, it is also vital to properly calibrate these detectors.


Supervisor: Kevin Fissum
Master thesis: 30hp, 2020
Physics Department, Lund University (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Morales Urrutia, Armando Javier LU
supervisor
organization
course
FYSM30 20202
year
type
H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
subject
language
English
id
9036413
date added to LUP
2021-01-31 21:00:59
date last changed
2021-01-31 21:01:23
@misc{9036413,
  abstract     = {{Future experiments with thermal neutrons at neutron facilities may encounter fast neutrons as sources of background. Understanding fast neutron behavior on an event-by-event basis in a detector is important for these complementary thermal neutron experiments. One way to study fast neutron events is by performing a time-of-flight measurement. In this thesis, a calibration of a neutron time-of-flight spectrum using emissions from an Actinide/Beryllium source was performed. Neutron kinetic energies were determined using the neutron-tagging technique, where each fast neutron was correlated to a gamma-ray from the decay of the first excited state of Carbon. The results indicate the technique functions as expected.}},
  author       = {{Morales Urrutia, Armando Javier}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Calibration of a Fast Neutron Time-of-Flight System}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}