Extended use of alanine irradiated in experimental reactor for combined gamma- and neutron-dose assessment by ESR spectroscopy and thermal neutron fluence assessment by measurement of 14C by LSC

Gamma- and neutron doses in an experimental reactor were measured using alanine/electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrometry. The absorbed dose in alanine was decomposed into contributions caused by gamma and neutron radiation using neutron kerma factors. To overcome a low sensitivity of the alanine/ESR response to thermal neutrons, a novel method has been proposed for the assessment of a thermal neutron flux using the 14N(n,p) 14C reaction on nitrogen present in alanine and subsequent measurement of 14C by liquid scintillation counting (LSC).