Contribution of fast neutrons to material heating within a reactor: graphite, magnesium and iron used in calorimeters

The objective of this research is to assess the contribution of fast neutrons to the heating of some materials by irradiation in a nuclear reactor, mainly in order to improve performance of calorimetric measurements. In a first part, the author reports the theoretical calculation of heating by addressing the energy released by the neutron in the medium for different reactions and the energy stored in material damages (although relatively low, it has been taken into account), and by developing general equations expressing the deposited thermal energy. These equations have been numerically solved. In the second part, the author reports the comparison between these calculated results and experimental measurements. A specific irradiation device has been used