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Neural network unfolding of neutron spectrum measured by gold foil-based Bonner sphere

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Abstract

Bonner sphere spectrometer (BSS) based on gold foils, as thermal neutron detectors, is one of the common device for neutron spectrometry. In this paper, the response functions of the Bonner spheres were determined for neutrons with energies ranging from thermal up to 20 MeV using Monte Carlo code. To verify the simulated response functions, the spheres of BSS were irradiated with 241Am-Be neutron source at the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad and the activities of the gold foils were measured. Then the artificial neural network was applied for neutron spectrum unfolding. The results showed a good agreement between unfolded and reference spectrum of ISO 8529-1.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Physics Department, Faculty of Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

    Najmeh Mohammadi, Hashem Miri Hakimabad & Laleh Rafat Motavalli

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  1. Najmeh Mohammadi
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  2. Hashem Miri Hakimabad
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  3. Laleh Rafat Motavalli
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Correspondence to Hashem Miri Hakimabad.

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Mohammadi, N., Hakimabad, H.M. & Motavalli, L.R. Neural network unfolding of neutron spectrum measured by gold foil-based Bonner sphere. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 303, 1687–1693 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-014-3650-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-014-3650-8

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