Improvement in the calibration time of absolute emission rate of radioisotopic neutron sources using vanadyl sulfate bath

In this study, for calibration of emission rate of radioisotopic neutron sources, a suitable vanadium salt was proposed instead manganese sulfate because the shorter half-life of 52V would facilitate faster neutron yield measurements to be made with a shorter delay time between subsequent measurements. Using Monte Carlo method, different correction factors of manganese and vanadyl sulfate baths were calculated and compared with each other. The results showed that for having an appropriate efficiency of VBS, high concentrations of solution must be used. - Highlights: ► The widely used method for measurement of emission rate of radioisotopic neutron sources is MBS. ► One of limitations of MBS is time required for activation to saturation and background measurement. ► The aim of this study is to evaluate a calibration method by VBS with about one-hour full-cycle time. ► The relative efficiency per neutron of VBS was just about half that obtained from MBS. ► The relative efficiency of VBS is compensated with increasing the concentration of solution.