The accurate and efficient simulation of coupled neutron-photon problems is necessary for several important radiation detection applications. Examples include the detection of nuclear threats concealed in cargo containers and prompt gamma neutron activation analysis for nondestructive determination of elemental composition of unknown samples. In these applications, high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometers are used to measure the spectrum of the emitted photon flux, which consists of both continuum and characteristic gamma rays with discrete energies. Monte Carlo transport is the most commonly used simulation tool for this type of problem, but computational times for many problems can be prohibitively long. This work explores the use of multi-group deterministic methods for the simulation of coupled neutron-photon problems.
Revised: March 4, 2011 |
Published: September 24, 2009
Citation
Burns K.A., L.E. Smith, C.J. Gesh, and M.W. Shaver. 2009.Multi-Group Transport Methods for High-Resolution Neutron Activation Analysis. In International Conference on Mathematics, Computational Methods & Reactor Physics (M&C 2009) Saratoga Springs, New York, May 3-7, 2009,. Lagrange Park, Illinois:American Nuclear Society.PNNL-18793.