Abstract
Determination of tree ring chemistry using Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) is part of an ongoing research between Penn State University (PSU) and Cornell University, The Malcolm and Carolyn Wiener Laboratory for Aegean and Near Eastern Dendrochronology. Tree-ring chemistry yields valuable data for environmental event signatures. These signatures are a complex function of elemental concentration. To be certain about concentration of signature elements, it is necessary to perform the measurements and corrections with the lowest error and maximum accuracy possible. Accurate and precise values of energy dependent neutron flux at dry irradiation tubes and detector efficiency for tree ring sample are calculated for Penn State Breazeale Reactor (PSBR). For the calculation of energy dependent and self shielding corrected neutron flux, detailed model of the TRIGA Mark III reactor at PSU with updated fuel compositions was prepared using the MCNP utility for reactor evolution (MURE) libraries. Dry irradiation tube, sample holder and sample were also included in the model. The thermal flux self-shielding correction factors due to the sample holder and sample for were calculated and verified with previously published values. The Geant-4 model of the gamma spectroscopy system, developed at Radiation Science and Engineering Center (RSEC), was improved and absolute detector efficiency for tree-ring samples was calculated.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ünlü K, Kuniholm PI, Chiment JJ, Hauck DK (2005) Neutron activation analysis of absolutely-dated tree rings. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 264(1):21–27
Borovicka J et al (2010) Bioaccumulation of gold in macrofungi and ectomycorrhizae from the vicinity of the Mokrsko gold deposit, Czech Republic. Soil Biol Biochem 42(1):83–91
Sardans J, Peñuelas J (2005) Trace element accumulation in the moss Hypnum cupressiforme Hedw. and the trees Quercus ilex L. and Pinus halepensis Mill. in Catalonia. Chemosphere 60(9):1293–1307
Mueck K, Bensch F (1973) Cadmium correction factors of several thermal neutron foil detectors. J Nucl Energy 27(9):677–688
Chilian C, St-Pierre J, Kennedy G (2008) Complete thermal and epithermal neutron self-shielding corrections for NAA using a spreadsheet. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 278(3):745–749
Degenaar IH, Blaauw M, de Goeij JJM (2003) Correction for neutron self-shielding in large-sample prompt-gamma neutron activation analysis. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 257(3):467–470
Chilian C, St-Pierre J, Kennedy G (2006) Dependence of thermal and epithermal neutron self-shielding on sample size and irradiation site. Nucl Instrum Methods Phys Res A 564(2):629–635
Tzika F, Stamatelatos IE (2004) Thermal neutron self-shielding correction factors for large sample instrumental neutron activation analysis using the MCNP code. Nucl Instrum Methods Phys Res B 213:177–181
Martinho E, Salgado J, Gonçalves IF (2004) Universal curve of the thermal neutron self-shielding factor in foils, wires, spheres and cylinders. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 261(3):637–643
Martinho E, Gonçalves IF, Salgado J (2003) Universal curve of epithermal neutron resonance self-shielding factors in foils, wires and spheres. Appl Radiat Isot 58(3):371–375
Trkov A, Zerovnik G, Snoj L, Ravnik M (2009) On the self-shielding factors in neutron activation analysis. Nucl Instrum Methods Phys Res A 610(2):553–565
Gwozdz R, Grass F (2006) Standardization problems in INAA of large organic samples. Czechoslov J Phys 56(1):D229–D240
Meplan O, Nuttin A, Laulan O, David S, Michel-Sendis F, Wilson J (2005) MURE: MCNP utility for reactor evolution—description of the methods, first applications and results. ENS-ANS-SFEN, Versailles
Meplan O (2011) User guide, MURE, MCNP utility for reactor evolution. http://lpsc.in2p3.fr/gpr/MURE/html/UserGuide/UserGuide.html. Accessed 10 February 2011
Booth TE, Brown FB, Bull JS et al (2008) MCNP5 1.50 release notes, LA-UR-08-2300
CCC-0740 MCNP5/MCNPX (2011) MCNP5/MCNPX, Monte Carlo N-particle transport code system including MCNP5 1.50, MCNPX 2.6.0, VISED and data libraries. http://www.oecd-nea.org/tools/abstract/detail/ccc-0740. Accessed 10 February 2011
Bateman H (1910) Solution of a system of differential equations occurring in the theory of radioactive transformations. Cambridge 15:423–427
Chao J (1980) COBRA-3C/RERTR—a thermal-hydraulic subchannel code with low pressure capabilities. Science Applications, Inc.
Reiss T, Fehér S, Czifrus S (2008) Coupled neutronics and thermohydraulics calculations with burn-up for HPLWRs. Prog Nucl Energy 50(1):52–61
Wilson J et al (2009) Economy of uranium resources in a three-component reactor fleet with mixed thorium/uranium fuel cycles. Ann Nucl Energy 36(3):404–408
Şahin D, Ünlü K (2009) Modeling a gamma spectroscopy system and predicting spectra with Geant-4. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 282(1):167–172
Agostinelli S et al (2003) G4—a simulation toolkit. Nucl Instrum Methods in Phys Res A 506(3):250–303
Hurtado S, García-León M, García-Tenorio R (2004) GEANT4 code for simulation of a germanium gamma-ray detector and its application to efficiency calibration. Nucl Instrum Methods in Phys Res A 518(3):764–774
CERN (2007) Geant4 collaboration physics reference manual. Online source, http://geant4.cern.ch/support/userdocuments.shtml. Accessed 10 January 2011
Penn State Breazeale Reactor (2005) PSBR safety analysis report. RSEC Breazeale Nuclear Reactor, Penn State University
Tippayakul, Ivanov, Sears (2006) TRIGSIMS FUEL MANAGEMENT PROGRAM MANUAL FOR PSBR Version 1.0., The Penn State University, University Park
Tippayakul C, Ivanov K, Frederick Sears C (2008) Development of a practical Monte Carlo based fuel management system for the Penn State University Breazeale research reactor (PSBR). Ann Nucl Energy 35(3):539–551
Epstein E, Bloom AJ (2004) Mineral nutrition of plants: principles and perspectives, 2nd edn. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland
Acknowledgments
Special thanks to Mark A. Trump and Brenden Heidrich for their countless discussions and help to evaluate measured data for reactor experiments. This project was sponsored by The Pennsylvania State University, Radiation Science and Engineering Center.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Şahin, D., Ünlü, K. Determination of self shielding factors and gamma attenuation effects for tree ring samples. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 291, 549–553 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-011-1281-x
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-011-1281-x