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Application of Sub-Miniature Fission Chamber Neutron Detector for Neutron Flux Measurement at the RSG-GAS Reactor: Foil Activation Benchmarking

Gusman, R. (Unknown)
Agung, A. (Unknown)
Subekti, R. M. (Unknown)
Iswahyudi, F. N. (Unknown)
Susanti, F. (Unknown)
Pinem, S. (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
26 Feb 2026

Abstract

Accurate neutron flux measurement is essential for reactor characterization and utilization. At the RSG-GAS reactor, previous flux measurements relied on the foil activation method. While this method provides high accuracy, it lacks real-time capability due to its requirement for irradiation, post-irradiation cooling, and subsequent gamma spectroscopy for activity assessment. Direct online measurements of thermal neutron flux in the RSG-GAS reactor irradiation positions were performed using a Sub-Miniature Fission Chamber (SMFC) detector, where the flux was determined from the detector's output current proportional to fission events. This approach offers a viable alternative to the conventional foil activation technique by eliminating its time-consuming process and multiple uncertainty sources. After applying a correction factor obtained from gold foil activation reference measurements and the combined measurement uncertainty was quantified as ± 4.0%, results showed an axial flux distribution peaking at 200 mm height from the bottom of the core with maximum values of 4.997 x 1012 ± 0.199 x 1012 n/cm².s at central iradiation position (CIP E7), 6.212 x 1012 ± 0.248 x 1012 n/cm².s at iradiation position (IP B6), and 2.096 x 1012 ± 0.083x1012 n/cm².s at reflector element with plug (BS+ A2) under 200 kW operation. Radial mapping at 600 mm height from the bottom of the core revealed a maximum flux of 1.230 x 1012 ± 0.049 x 1012 n/cm².s at IP (G7). These results demonstrate that the Sub-Miniature Fission Chamber (SMFC) enables real-time neutron flux monitoring and provides a viable alternative to the conventional foil activation technique.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

aij

Publisher

Subject

Energy Physics

Description

Atom Indonesia is dedicated to publishing and disseminating the results of research and development in nuclear science and technology. The scope of this journal covers experimental and analytical research in nuclear science and technology. The topics include nuclear physics, reactor physics, ...