Evaluation of the response of a “Long-Counter” for 241Am/Be neutrons
doi: 10.5028/jatm.2009.0102243246

Claudio Antônio Federico*
Institute for Advanced Studies
São José dos Campos – Brazil
claudiofederico@ieav.cta.br

Wagner Aguiar de Oliveira
Institute for Advanced Studies
São José dos Campos - Brazil
wagner@ieav.cta.br

Marlon Antônio Pereira
Institute for Advanced Studies
São José dos Campos – Brazil
marlon@ieav.cta.br

Odair Lélis Gonçalez
Institute for Advanced Studies
São José dos Campos – Brazil
odairl@ieav.cta.br

*author for correspondence

Abstract:

A “Long-Counter” neutron detector is being used in the context of the DREAB (Dosimetry of the Radiation in the Brazilian Airspace) project to monitor the integral flow of neutrons deriving from the interaction of cosmic radiation with the atmosphere, which is important for measuring radiation doses received by humans at ground level and is mainly responsible for doses received by aircraft crews and sensitive instrumentation. In this work the preliminary tests performed with the Long-Counter neutron detector are presented using a 241Am/Be neutron source where the radial and transversal directional dependence of the equipment was evaluated and also an additional backward-shield in the equipment was verified, as a way of minimizing the back nodule response in relation to the frontal nodule, which is a condition of interest for the current work in progress.

Keywords:

Neutron, Cosmic radiation, Fluency.