Studying the Efficiency of Deposited Metal Films on Teflon utilization as Neutron Threshold Detectors in the Research MNSR

Deposited metal films on teflon (DMFTs) were used in the research Miniature Neutron Source Reactor (MNSR) to study their usability as neutron threshold detectors for the fast neutron flux measurement in the inner irradiation sites. For this purpose target materials of titanium, aluminum, and gold deposited on teflon were locally prepared at room temperature using two methods: the vacuum arc deposition and DC Magnetron sputtering. The results at the 95% level of confidence of the fast neutron flux using the metal films deposited on teflon by the vacuum arc for titanium using two nuclear reactions47Ti(n, α)⁴⁷Sc and ⁴⁶Ti(n, p)⁴⁶Sc and for aluminum using ²⁷Al(n, α)²⁴Na were: (3.7±0.7).10¹⁰, (2.13±0.02).10¹⁰, (1.13±0.03).10¹¹ cm^-2.s^-1 respectively. The result at the same level of confidence of the fast neutron flux using the metal films deposited on teflon by the DC magnetron sputtering for gold using ¹⁹⁷Au (n, 2n)¹⁹⁶Au was: (2.0±0.1).10¹⁰ cm^-2.s^-1. The obtained mean value of the fast neutron flux in this work (4.9±0.1).10¹⁰cm^-2.s^-1 was deviated maximum by 20% when compared with the previous published results. The expected reasons of this deviation were discussed briefly. (author)