J. K. C. Leung

Development of a Bonner Sphere neutron spectrometer from a commercial neutron dosimeter

Bonner Spheres have been used widely for the measurement of neutron spectra with neutron energies ranged from thermal up to at least 20 MeV . A Bonner Sphere neutron spectrometer (BSS) was developed by extending a Berthold LB 6411 neutron-dose-rate meter. The BSS consists of a 3He thermal-neutron detector with integrated electronics, a set of eight polyethylene spherical shells and two optional lead shells of various sizes. The response matrix of the BSS was calculated with GEANT4 Monte Carlo simulation. The BSS had a calibration uncertainty of ± 8.6% and a detector background rate of (1.57 ± 0.04) × 10−3 s−1. A spectral unfolding code NSUGA was developed. The NSUGA code utilizes genetic algorithms and has been shown to perform well in the absence of a priori information.

Direct measurement of attachment of 220Rn progeny on aerosols by atomic force microscopy

Abstract Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is becoming a powerful tool for the study of nuclear tracks in materials such as CR-39. Coupled with its capability of observing near nm aerosol particles, we have utilized the AFM to observe the radon progeny-loaded aerosol particles deposited on surfaces of CR-39 and to observe the corresponding etch pits produced by the α-particles emitted from the radon progenies. A special platform was built so that after the aerosol particles on the CR-39 have been scanned and recorded, the CR-39 can be etched and then scanned for the etch pits at the same location. Both 222 Rn and 220 Rn progenies were used in the study. The progenies were generated by the appropriate radon sources and mixed with aerosol particles generated by aerosol generators. The aerosol size distributions were analyzed by a scanning mobility particle sizer. Some of the limitations and difficulties of the technique will be described. The results enable us to examine the attachment process including multiple attachments of radon progenies on aerosols.

Measurement of cosmic-ray muons and muon-induced neutrons in the Aberdeen Tunnel Underground Laboratory

In this study, we have measured the muon flux and production rate of muon-induced neutrons at a depth of 611 m water equivalent. Our apparatus comprises three layers of crossed plastic scintillator hodoscopes for tracking the incident cosmic-ray muons and 760 L of a gadolinium-doped liquid scintillator for producing and detecting neutrons. The vertical muon intensity was measured to be Iμ = (5.7±0.6)×10–6 cm–2 s–1 sr–1. The yield of muon-induced neutrons in the liquid scintillator was determined to be Yn = (1.19 ± 0.08(stat) ± 0.21(syst)) × 10–4 neutrons/(μ•g•cm–2). A fit to the recently measured neutron yields at different depths gave a mean muon energy dependence of 0.76±0.03 for liquid-scintillator targets.