Evaluation of sensitivity and resolution enhancement in cold neutron prompt γ-ray activation analysis using neutron lenses

✍ Scribed by J.R. Swider; W.B. Walters

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2004
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 290 KB
• Volume: 226
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0168-583X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nimb.2004.07.015

✦ Synopsis

Two neutron lenses were implemented in a cold neutron prompt c-ray activation analysis (CNPGAA) spectrometer to evaluate their enhancement of elemental sensitivity and resolution. The count rate with a lens in place was compared to the count rate of identical samples without a lens to determine the increase of sensitivity for in situ analysis. It was shown that sample sensitivities were size and shape dependent because of the Gaussian spread of neutrons at the focal spot. Samples of specific shape and size were scanned across the focused beam to examine how well element distributions could be determined from the prompt c-ray response.