Simultaneous measurement of neutron and gamma-ray radiation levels from a TRIGA reactor core using silicon carbide semiconductor detectors

The ability of a silicon carbide radiation detector to measure neutron and gamma radiation levels in a TRIGA reactor's mixed neutron/gamma field was demonstrated. Linear responses to epicadmium neutron fluence rate (up to 3 x 107 cm-2 s-1) and to gamma dose rate (0.6--234 krad-Si h-1) were obtained with the detector. Axial profiles of the reactor core's neutron and gamma-ray radiation levels were successfully generated through sequential measurements along the length of the core. The SiC detector shows a high level of precision for both neutrons and gamma rays in high-intensity radiation environments--1.9% for neutrons and better than 0.6% for gamma rays. These results indicate that SiC detectors are well suited for applications such as spent fuel monitoring where measurements in mixed neutron/gamma fields are desired