Measurement of the spatial-energy distribution of neutrons in the irradiation channel of the critical facility

Abstract One of the basic installations of the Republican State Enterprise “Institute of Nuclear Physics” of the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan is a critical assembly, which is a zero-power reactor. Desalinated water and beryllium serve as moderators and neutrons reflectors. The energy spectrum of neutrons in the core is thermal. The main purpose and area of application is the modeling and study of the neutronic characteristics of the cores of water-moderated research reactors of various types. The paper presents the results of experimental measurements of the spatial-energy distribution of neutrons in the dry, central channel of the critical assembly. Measurements of the neutron flux were carried out using activation foils for three energy groups of neutrons: thermal, epithermal, and fast. The measured thermal neutrons flux in the irradiation channel is ~ 3·108 cm‒2s‒1, and fast neutrons flux (with energies above 0.7 MeV) is ~ 8·108 cm‒2s‒1. The fraction of thermal neutrons in the integral flux was 0.23%, and the fraction of fast neutrons was 0.62%. In the axial distribution of thermal and fast neutrons, the maximum value of the neutron flux is 50 mm below the midplane of the core.