Estimation method of prompt neutron decay constant reducing higher order mode effect by linear combination

Katano, Ryota

Nuclear Science and Engineering, 193(4), p.431 - 439, 2019/04

https://doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2018.1528803

We proposed "linear combination method" to reduce the higher order mode effect on the prompt neutron decay constant measured by the pulsed neutron experiment. When the spatial higher order mode effect is taken into account, the time evolution of the neutron counts after the pulsed neutron injection is given by linear combination of multiple exponential functions. However, the measurement results by the conventional method include the systematic error derived from the higher order mode effect because the conventional method fit the neutron counts with a single exponential function. The proposed method extract the single exponential function of the fundamental mode by linear combination of the neutron counts at multiple detectors, thus the proposed method reduces the higher order mode effect. As the verification, we applied the proposed method to the numerical simulation. The results indicate that the proposed method can reduce the higher order mode effect by linear combination.