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

Abstract

We treat generic physical features of the production of neutrons from the high-atomic-number materials irradiated by the electron beam provided by the linear electron accelerator. The bremsstrahlung of incident electrons inducing the photonuclear reactions is considered. The experimental data on photonuclear reactions are utilized to describe neutrons generating caused by the γ-radiation absorption. The generally received theoretical approaches are applied to explore the photoneutrons 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 the framework of the quantum electrodynamics and photonuclear physics, without having any recourse to the ®numerical Monte-Carlo simulations¯. Ourˇndings prove mainly to conform satisfactorily to the experimental measurements, so far as those are available for now.¸¸²