Neutron beam preparation with Am–Be source for analysis of biological samples with PGNAA method

Material analysis with prompt gamma neutron activation analysis (PGNAA) requires a proper geometrical arrangement for equipments in laboratory. Application of PGNAA in analysis of biological samples, due to small size of sample, needs attention to the dimension of neutron beam. In our work, neutron source has been made of 241Am–Be type. Activity of 241Am was 20 Ci which lead to neutron source strength of 4.4 × 107 neutrons per second. Water has been considered as the basic shielding material for the neutron source. The effect of various concentration of boric acid in the reduction of intensity of fast and thermal components of the neutron beam and gamma ray has been investigated. Gamma ray is produced by (α, n) reaction in Am–Be source (4.483 MeV), neutron capture by hydrogen (2.224 MeV), and neutron capture by boron (0.483 MeV). Various types of neutron and gamma ray dosimeters have been employed including BF3 and NE-213 detectors to detect fast and thermal neutrons. BGO scintillation detector has been used for gamma ray spectroscopy. It is shown that the gamma and neutron radiation dose due to direct beam is of the same magnitude as the dose due to radiation scattered in the laboratory ambient. It is concluded that 14 kg boric acid dissolved in 1,000 kg water is the optimum solution to surround the neutron source. The experimental results have been compared with Monte Carlo simulation.