title: Characterization of Bonner sphere systems at monoenergetic and thermal neutron fields.
abstract: The Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN) and the GFR, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona (UAB) use Bonner spheres (BS) for neutron spectrometry at workplaces. The two systems, equipped with similar cylindrical 3He proportional counters, were simulated with the MCNP Monte-Carlo code to determine the response to neutrons of different energies for each polyethylene sphere. The BS systems were characterized at monoenergetic and thermal neutron fields. Measurements were performed at the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) and at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) standard laboratories, and with the newly characterized IRSN 'SIGMA' thermal neutron facility. The energy distribution of the reference neutron fluence was folded with the response functions for comparison purposes with the experimental data. In almost all cases related to monoenergetic neutrons, a good agreement between the experimental and the calculated count rates was found, and some discrepancies of a few per cent were observed in the thermal region.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire. BP 3, 13115 Saint Paul-Lez-Durance, France. Veronique.Lacoste@irsn.fr
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lacoste
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gressier
authors.forename: J-L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Pochat
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bakali
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bouassoule
mesh_terms: D001822:Body Burden; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D018499:Linear Energy Transfer; D009502:Neutrons; D009688:Nuclear Reactors; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D011522:Protons; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D011874:Radiometry / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D012015:Reference Standards; D012062:Relative Biological Effectiveness; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013030:Spain; D013057:Spectrum Analysis / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D011522:Protons