Computing Neutron Source Strength - Your Advice Welcome

[Stephan_doc]

Greetings to all,
I know activity for a Am-Be neutron source. I want to compute strenght source in neutrons/s. Yours advices are welcome. Thank you!

 

[Astronuc]

Greetings to all,
I know activity for a Am-Be neutron source. I want to compute strenght source in neutrons/s. Yours advices are welcome. Thank you!

One could take the α decay rate of Am-241, and with knowledge of the macroscopic cross-section, including reaction efficiency, determine the n source term.

Alternatively, Amersham produces an Am-Be source of ~ 2.2 x 10⁶ n/sec per Ci. This is the approximate value at manufacture, so one has to correct for Am-241 decay. One would have to know the Ci of Am of the original source, or the date of manufacture.

 

[Stephan_doc]

Thank you for answer, finally i found the solution. For example Po-210/Be neutrons-source has a yield of 70 neutrons/1milion alpha particles.

 

[terryphi]

You need a conversion factor. Look at

Bernard Shlein, L. A. (1998). Handbook of Health Physics and Radiological Health Third Edition. Baltimore: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.

Greetings to all,
I know activity for a Am-Be neutron source. I want to compute strenght source in neutrons/s. Yours advices are welcome. Thank you!

 

[alphy]

Hello and thank you for reaching out to the scientific community for advice on computing neutron source strength. I would recommend using the following steps to calculate the strength of your Am-Be neutron source:

1. Determine the activity of your Am-Be source, which is typically measured in curies (Ci) or becquerels (Bq). This information should be provided by the manufacturer or can be measured using a radiation detector.

2. Convert the activity into neutrons per second (n/s). This can be done by multiplying the activity (in Ci or Bq) by the decay constant of your source, which can also be provided by the manufacturer.

3. Take into account any shielding or other factors that may affect the neutron output of your source. This may require additional calculations or measurements.

4. Once you have calculated the neutron output in n/s, you can use this value to determine the strength of your source in comparison to other sources or to meet any specific requirements for your research or application.

I hope this advice helps and please don't hesitate to reach out for any further assistance. Best of luck with your research!