Experimental measurement of infinite dilution thermal neutron self-shielding factor

TL;DR

This paper experimentally measures the thermal neutron self-shielding factors of various metals and validates a mathematical model that correlates neutron migration length with average chord length.

Contribution

It provides experimental data for neutron self-shielding factors and validates a new mathematical model based on integral cross-section parameters.

Findings

Complete agreement between experimental data and literature results.

Validation of a mathematical model correlating neutron migration length and average chord length.

Confirmation of the model's validity across multiple metal species.

Abstract

The absorption of neutrons in media together with its transport properties cause the neutron flux to decrease as it penetrates the material because the absorption of neutrons in the sample itself attenuates the neutrons flux as it goes deeper into the sample. In the present work, the thermal neutron self-shielding factors of indium, gold, zinc, and mercury were determined experimentally. The current results together with those found in the literature were used to validate a mathematical ab initio formulae based on integral cross-section parameters used to compare our results. The complete agreement among these species of data suggests the validity of correlating the neutron migration length in the convex-shaped material with the average chord length described in the mathematical model.