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Large neutron sources are rare, and usually limited to large-sized devices such as nuclear reactors or particle accelerators, including the Spallation Neutron Source. Neutron radiation was discovered from observing an alpha particle colliding with a beryllium nucleus, which was transformed into a carbon nucleus while emitting a neutron, Be(α, n)C.
Some isotopes undergo spontaneous fission (SF) with emission of neutrons.The most common spontaneous fission source is the isotope californium-252. 252 Cf and all other SF neutron sources are made by irradiating uranium or a transuranic element in a nuclear reactor, where neutrons are absorbed in the starting material and its subsequent reaction products, transmuting the starting material into ...
Some nuclides can be induced to eject a neutron by gamma radiation. One such nuclide is 9 Be; its photodisintegration is significant in nuclear astrophysics, pertaining to the abundance of beryllium and the consequences of the instability of 8 Be. This also makes this isotope useful as a neutron source in nuclear reactors. [2]
A radioactive source is a known quantity of a radionuclide which emits ionizing radiation, typically one or more of the radiation types gamma rays, alpha particles, beta particles, and neutron radiation. Sources can be used for irradiation, where the radiation performs a significant ionising function on a target material, or as a radiation ...
Most of the world's neutron sources were built decades ago, and although the uses and demand for neutrons have increased throughout the years, few new sources have been built. To fill that need for a new, improved neutron source, the DOE Office of Basic Energy Sciences funded the construction of SNS, which would provide the most intense pulsed ...
The neutron source usually is a research reactor or a spallation source. In some cases, a smaller facility will provide high energy neutrons (e.g. 2.5 MeV or 14 MeV fusion neutrons ) using existing neutron generator technologies.
Radiation safety: Neutron radiation is a hazard associated with neutron sources, space travel, accelerators and nuclear reactors. Neutron detectors used for radiation safety must take into account the relative biological effectiveness (i.e., the way damage caused by neutrons varies with energy).
Generally the neutron source is a research reactor, [1] [2] where a large number of neutrons per unit area (flux) is available. Some work with isotope sources of neutrons has been completed (largely spontaneous fission of Californium-252, [3] but also Am-Be isotope sources, and others). These offer decreased capital costs and increased mobility ...