Filtered Neutron Beam Measurements at Hifar

Abstract

A series of filtered epithermal neutron beam experiments have been done at the High Flux Australian Reactor (HIFAR) in support of a proposal to install an epithermal NCT facility. Previous epithermal neutron beam studies for application to BNCT at Ansto have been carried out by calculation only^1.2. The objectives of these experiments were to verify the reliability of MCNP models of complex filtered neutron beam arrangements³ and develop experience in epithermal neutron beam characterisation at Ansto. In these experiments sulphur, aluminium, titanium, iron and argon filters were used in various combinations. Access to the 10” horizontal port (10H) which would be used for the proposed patient treatment facility is not possible at present because it is being used for other experiments. For this reason a filtered beam was extracted through the top plate of HIFAR in a configuration similar to that described by Ross for the DIDO reactor at Harwell⁴.