Abstract
The anomalous slowing-down cross-section of hydrogen with respect to neutron back-scattering is the physical basis of the method of soil moisture content determination. The neutron back-scattering method is widely used in geoengineering and hydrogeology to determine the moisture content of soil and rocks under natural conditions. Since the moisture content is determined by this method without taking any samples, the method is used to investigate friable deposits in unsaturated zones and below the groundwater table. The method yields estimates of moisture contents at individual points in the ground and is used by a continuous scan, giving the moisture content as a function of probe position. The sensitivity, working depth of the measuring probe, parameters of the medium and the various factors affecting the neutron slowing-down process are discussed in this chapter.
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Ferronsky, V. (2015). Neutron Back-Scattering Method. In: Nuclear Geophysics. Springer Geophysics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-12451-3_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-12451-3_4
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