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Pool-type reactors are an excellent source of high energy photons without neutrons because the water above fuel acts as an outstanding neutron shielding, whereas for high energy photons, it is nearly transparent. The absence of neutrons is a valuable property essential for testing semiconductor detectors because they are sensitive to neutrons, which might cause their damage. The high energy gammas are worth studying because they are responsible for radiation induced heating of reactor internal components in energy producing reactors, which might lead to their radiation induced damage by void swelling. At this effect, the helium produced in (n,α) reactions influenced by locally increased temperature clusters into bigger bubbles, which are increasing material volume, and therefore changing the geometry of internals. The referred method could be utilized e.g. for resource exploration by detecting prompt capture gammas. The prompt gamma field was measured at the VR-1 reactor with two different cores and water levels. The stilbene measurements showed relatively good agreement with the spectrum shape computed by MCNP6.2. An important result is a confirmation that the stilbene deconvolution matrix can be used with a rotated crystal. The testing measurement with HPGe detectors showed a possibility for measurement in such type of geometry.

In this paper we study quality of three types of organic scintillators stilbene, p-terphenyl and EJ-299-33. We used monoenergetic neutron fields with a wide range of neutron energies in PTB Braunschweig. All the tests were carried out with NGA-01 spectrometer. The results of the measurements are evaluated spectra from the spectrometer. We discuss the quality of each scintillator, such as the FWHM of the peaks.

Liquid organic scintillators are important devices for measurements of neutron radiation. This work aims to develop and optimize the composition of liquid organic scintillators so it can be used for fast neutron spectrometry. As the neutron radiation is usually accompanied with γ ray radiation, it is important to have quality γ/n discrimination. The new cocktail for house made liquid organic scintillator is prepared and studied with intention of being able to separate gamma and neutron for neutron energies above 0.5 MeV while keeping lower constraints on practical use (e.g., sealing because of oxygen) than commercial liquid scintillators. In preceding work the composition of liquid scintillators was optimized. Two twocomponent scintillators were selected for further studies. Solvent DIPN (Di-iso-propyl-naphthalene Mixed Isomers) is selected for both. First is mixed with luminophore PYR (1-Phenyl-3-(2,4,6-trimethyl-phenyl)-2-pyrazoline) of concentration 5 g/l. Second is mixed with luminophore THIO (2,5-Bis(5-tert-butyl-benzoxazol-2-yl)thiophene) of concentration 5 g/l. In this work the response of scintillator to monoenergetic beam of neutrons was measured for multiple neutron energies at PTB in Braunschweig. The two parameter spectrometric system NGA-01 is used to analyze the energy and discrimination characteristics. 137 Cs and 60 Co are used as radiation sources for calibration with pure γ rays. Then the response of scintillator for same neutron energies was simulated using GEANT4. The dissipated energy in the scintillator in response to monoenergetic neutrons is obtained. Both, measured and simulated responses are compared. Functional dependence for yield of recoiled products is estimated. It is seen that main recoil product hydrogen proton is well observed in both. From the edge of proton response one can assume the yield for given neutron energy. The recoiled carbon ion (from elastic collision) is on the other side difficult to observe in measured results but clearly seen in dissipated energy plots. It suggests that yield of carbon ion is very small relatively to proton yield. These results will serve as basis for response function evaluation of scintillator which is necessary for evaluation of unknown neutron spectra from measurements with scintillator.

Since the beginning of using liquid scintillators for gamma-neutron separation, there have been many articles dealing with long-term degradation especially due to oxygen presented during scintillator encapsulation. The effect of aging of liquid organic scintillators namely EJ301, EJ309 (both Eljen Technology), and new custom-made cocktails based on 1-Phenyl-3-(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)-2-pyrazoline and 2,5-Bis(5-tert-butyl-benzoxazol-2-yl)thiophene fluors were investigated for more than half a year. The research was focused on the Compton edge shifting of gamma particles since the position is proportional to the light yield of the selected scintillator. Furthermore, the gamma-neutron separation was observed and quantified using FOM (Figure Of Merit) for samples prepared and filled under normal and nitrogen atmosphere during the mentioned period. All stated parameters of liquid scintillator NE213 manufactured by Nuclear Enterprises Limited opened more than three decades ago were measured and used for comparison.

This paper has been formally retracted because it has been accidentally published twice in the same volume. Request approved by the proceedings Editor and the Publisher on June 02, 2023.

In this work we compare the pulse-shape discrimination (PSD) properties of EJ-299-33A, BC-501A, stilbene, p-terphenyl and Hidex Aqualight in neutron field generated by the LVR-15 reactor with silicon filter utilization. Pulses from the scintillators are processed by Neutron-Gamma spectrometer. This spectrometric system with fast digitizer card contains two analog-digital (A/D) converters with a resolution of 12 bits and sampling frequency 500 MHz. For photomultiplier (PMT) linearity improvement active divider has been used. Measured data from scintillators have been processed using the integration method and compared. Results are presented.

A set of benchmark experiments was carried out in the full scale VVER-1000 mock-up on the reactor LR-0 in order to validate neutron transport calculation methodologies and to perform the optimization of the shape and locations of neutron flux operation monitors channels inside the shielding of the new VVER-1000 type reactors. Compared with previous experiments on the VVER-1000 mock-up on the reactor LR-0, the fast neutron spectra were measured in the extended neutron energy interval (0.1–10 MeV) and new calculations were carried out with the MCNPX code using various nuclear data libraries (ENDF/B VII.0, JEFF 3.1, JENDL 3.3, JENDL 4, ROSFOND 2009, and CENDL 3.1). Measurements and calculations were carried out at different points in the mock-up. The calculation and experimental data are compared.