Measurements of induced activity in concrete by secondary particles at forward direction produced by intermediate energy heavy ions on an Fe target

Spallation and neutron capture reaction rate distributions were measured using activation detectors inside a 90-cm thick ordinary concrete pile exposed to a field of secondary particles escaping a thick (stopping length) iron target bombarded with various intermediate energy ions, 230 MeV/u He, 400 MeV/u C, and 800 MeV/u Si. Activation detectors of aluminum, bismuth, gold, and gold covered with cadmium were inserted at various depths in the concrete pile. In addition, the distributions of activation reaction rate were simulated by FLUKA and PHITS Monte-Carlo codes. Generally, comparison of measured and calculated reaction rates show agreement within a factor of two. The experimental data will be useful for benchmarking Monte-Carlo radiation transport simulation code capabilities in estimating radioactivity induced in accelerator radiation shielding.