Application of fluorine-based threshold activation detector for neutron flux calculation from D-T neutron generator.

In this paper we propose a method of fast neutron flux estimation from a pulsed D-T neutron generator with application of single CaF2 scintillation crystal. The analysis method relies on ¹⁹F(n, α)¹⁶N threshold activation reaction having neutron energy threshold at 1.6 MeV. As a result, the ¹⁶N undergo β⁻ decay with half-life of 7.1 s, emitting β particles with endpoint up to 10.4 MeV in the scintillator medium. Integration of the β distribution curve, preceded by calculation of (n, α) rate on F with Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport Code v6 (MCNP6) for fixed geometry, allows to estimate the neutron flux in 4π per second within few minutes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]