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Characterization of neutron spectrum parameters in PFTS irradiation channel of KAMINI reactor and validation of Westcott formalism using k0 IM-NAA

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Abstract

The Pneumatic Fast Transfer System irradiation channel of KAMINI reactor was characterized using Høgdahl and Westcott formalism. The neutron spectrum parameters like epi-thermal flux shape factor (α), thermal to epi-thermal neutron flux ratio (f), Modified Spectral Index (\({r}_{0}\sqrt{{T}_{n}/{T}_{0}}\)) and Westcott factor gLu(Tn) were determined by measuring the activity corresponding to the (n,γ) product of nuclides having cross-section behavior “l/v” (197Au, 94Zr, and 58Fe) and “non-l/v” (176Lu). The obtained gLu(Tn) value was used to determine the neutron temperature (Tn) and further validated by fitting the thermal neutron spectrum, computed using MCNP. The Westcott parameters were validated by analyzing the reference materials.

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Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nds.2014.07.071 and in the reference number [9, 24,25,26,27].

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Acknowledgements

We sincerely thank the reactor operational engineers of KAMINI reactor for their valuable support towards the irradiation experiments. We also thank health physicists and reactor physicists of IGCAR for their help for the radiation dose measurements of irradiated samples.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Material Chemistry and Metal Fuel Chemistry Group, IGCAR, Kalpakkam, 603102, India

    Manish Chand, J. S. Brahmaji Rao & G. V. S. Ashok Kumar

  2. Reactor Design Group, IGCAR, Kalpakkam, 603102, India

    Subhrojit Bagchi

  3. Reactor Facilites Group, IGCAR, Kalpakkam, 603102, India

    M. Elumalai

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  1. Manish Chand
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  2. Subhrojit Bagchi
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  3. J. S. Brahmaji Rao
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  4. M. Elumalai
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  5. G. V. S. Ashok Kumar
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Correspondence to Manish Chand or G. V. S. Ashok Kumar.

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Chand, M., Bagchi, S., Rao, J.S.B. et al. Characterization of neutron spectrum parameters in PFTS irradiation channel of KAMINI reactor and validation of Westcott formalism using k0 IM-NAA. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 332, 4325–4333 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-023-09129-3

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