Development of an Array of Liquid Scintillators to Measure the Prompt Fission Neutron Spectrum at LANSCE

• Published in: Nuclear data sheets 2014-05, Vol.119, p.371-372
• Main Authors: Perdue, B.A., Taddeucci, T.N., Haight, R.C., Bredeweg, T., Devlin, M., Fotiades, N., Jandel, M., Laptev, A., Lee, H.Y., Nelson, R.O., O'Donnell, J.M., Ullmann, J.L., Wender, S.A., Wu, C.Y., Kwan, E., Chyzh, A., Henderson, R.A., Gostic, J.M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0090-3752; 1095-9904
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nds.2014.08.102

Higher quality measurements of outgoing prompt neutron spectra from neutron-induced fission as a function of the incoming neutron energy are needed. These data can be used in designing new fast reactors, predicting criticality for safety analyses, and developing techniques for global security applications. As part of the program to measure the prompt fission neutron spectra (PFNS) from the fission of 239Pu at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center, we are developing a new array of liquid-scintillator detectors. This array will be used to measure the PFNS over a range of outgoing neutron energies from approximately 600 keV to 12 MeV and incident neutron energies from 0.5 to 30 MeV. A complete characterization of the detectors and the array as a whole will be carried out, targeted at understanding the light-output curves, efficiencies, and the neutron multiple-scattering backgrounds.