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Experimental validation of some thermal neutron self-shielding calculation methods for cylindrical samples in INAA

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Abstract

Neutron self-shielding has been a factor of concern in the history of Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis. When the sample to be analyzed cannot be made small enough in size and/or sufficiently diluted, this undesired phenomenon must be accounted for. Several analytical, semi-empirical and computational methods for estimating the thermal neutron self-shielding effects have been extensively discussed in the literature and this work aims at the experimental validation of some of these methods by neutron irradiation of cylindrical samples containing strong thermal neutron absorbers. The accuracy and the relative differences in the results between these methods are discussed for cylindrical samples with up to 40% thermal self-shielding, showing that a semi-empirical sigmoidal function can be more accurate in modeling this effect than other exact algorithms, where a maximum 2% relative difference to the experimental values was obtained.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Analytical Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 S12, 9000, Ghent, Belgium

    F. Farina Arboccò & K. Strijckmans

  2. k0-INAA Laboratory, SCK-CEN, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, Boeretang 200, 2400, Mol, Belgium

    F. Farina Arboccò, P. Vermaercke & L. Sneyers

Authors
  1. F. Farina Arboccò
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  2. P. Vermaercke
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  3. L. Sneyers
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  4. K. Strijckmans
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Correspondence to F. Farina Arboccò.

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Farina Arboccò, F., Vermaercke, P., Sneyers, L. et al. Experimental validation of some thermal neutron self-shielding calculation methods for cylindrical samples in INAA. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 291, 529–534 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-011-1211-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-011-1211-y

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