Shielding designing of 241Am-Be neutron source housing experiment and Monte Carlo simulation

Abstract

Shielding of a neutron source housing for 1 Ci 241Am-Be source has been designed and fabricated based on the simulation carried out using Monte Carlo code FLUKA. Neutron and photon dose equivalent rates at the surface and at 1 m distance from the surface of the housing were calculated using FLUKA simulation and measured using gamma and neutron dose rate meters. The calculated and measured gamma and neutron dose equivalent rates agree well. Neutron spectra outside the source housing were generated using FLUKA simulation and measured with the ROSPEC + simple scintillation spectrometer neutron spectrometry system and also agree reasonably well. Gamma spectra outside the source housing and residual activity due to activation products in stainless steel and lead of the housing were also generated through simulation.

Keywords

• 241am-be
• fluka simulation
• neutron source
• residual activity
• shielding housing