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Study of the neutron flux generated at E-linac-driven neutron sources

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Abstract

We treat generic physical features of the production of neutrons from the high atomic number materials irradiated by the electron beam provided by linear electron accelerator. The bremsstrahlung of incident electrons inducing the photo-nuclear reactions is considered. The experimental data on photo-nuclear reactions are utilized to describe neutrons generating caused by the γ-radiation absorption. The generally received theoretical approaches are applied to explore the photo-neutrons energy distribution. The produced neutrons are primarily statistical, yet the direct neutrons share is noteworthy as well. The dependence of the neutron spectrum, mean neutron energy and total neutron yield on the energy and current of the electron beam and on the characteristics of irradiated samples is investigated. The analysis is plainly carried out in framework of the quantum electrodynamics and photo-nuclear physics, without having any recourse to the “numerical Monte-Carlo simulations”. Our findings prove mainly to conform satisfactorily to the experimental measurements, so far as those are available for now.

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    G. G. Bunatian

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Bunatian, G.G. Study of the neutron flux generated at E-linac-driven neutron sources. Phys. Part. Nuclei 43, 867–881 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1063779612060020

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