Experimental study of concrete activation compared to MCNP simulations for safety of neutron sources

D Hajdú; E Dian; K Gméling; E Klinkby; C P Cooper-Jensen; J Osán; P Zagyvai

doi:10.1016/j.apradiso.2021.109644

Experimental study of concrete activation compared to MCNP simulations for safety of neutron sources

Appl Radiat Isot. 2021 May:171:109644. doi: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2021.109644. Epub 2021 Feb 17.

Authors

D Hajdú¹, E Dian², K Gméling³, E Klinkby⁴, C P Cooper-Jensen⁵, J Osán⁶, P Zagyvai⁷

Affiliations

¹ Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Centre for Energy Research, 29-33. Konkoly-Thege M., 1525 Budapest, Hungary; University of Pannonia, Institute of Radiochemistry and Radioecology, 10. Egyetem, 8200 Veszprém, Hungary. Electronic address: hajdu.david@energia.mta.hu.
² Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Centre for Energy Research, 29-33. Konkoly-Thege M., 1525 Budapest, Hungary; European Spallation Source ESS ERIC, P.O Box 176, 221 00 Lund, Sweden; Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Institute of Nuclear Techniques, 9. Műegyetem rakpart 1111 Budapest, Hungary.
³ Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Centre for Energy Research, 29-33. Konkoly-Thege M., 1525 Budapest, Hungary.
⁴ European Spallation Source ESS ERIC, P.O Box 176, 221 00 Lund, Sweden; Technical University of Denmark, DTU Physics RisøCampus, 399 Frederiksborgvej, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
⁵ European Spallation Source ESS ERIC, P.O Box 176, 221 00 Lund, Sweden.
⁶ Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Centre for Energy Research, 29-33. Konkoly-Thege M., 1525 Budapest, Hungary; International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Nuclear Science and Instrumentation Laboratory, IAEA Laboratories, 2444 Seibersdorf, Austria.
⁷ Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Centre for Energy Research, 29-33. Konkoly-Thege M., 1525 Budapest, Hungary; Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Institute of Nuclear Techniques, 9. Műegyetem rakpart 1111 Budapest, Hungary.

PMID: 33647638
DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2021.109644

Abstract

The neutron activation of shielding materials and the generated decay gamma radiation are well-known issues in terms of occupational exposure. Though the trace elements of shielding concretes can be dominant sources of the produced activity in such cases, their concentrations are often missing from the input data of shielding-related Monte Carlo simulations. For this reason, three concrete types were studied, that were considered in the European Spallation Source (ESS) ERIC. Their composition - including the trace elements - were determined via XRF, PGAA and NAA techniques. Realistic input data were developed for these materials, containing the parent elements of all the dominant radioisotopes, and were validated against measured data of neutron irradiation experiments.

Keywords: Cinder; Concrete activation; ESS; MCNP; Neutron activation; Neutron shielding.