Applicability of the Ge(n,γ) Reaction for Estimating Thermal Neutron Flux

A simple experimental setup was used to measure gamma lines appearing in spectra after interactions of neutrons with Ge in the active volume of a high-purity germanium detector placed in a low-background shield. As source of neutrons a 252Cf spontaneous fission source and different thicknesses of PVC plates were used to slow down neutrons. A cadmiumenvelope was placed over the detector dipstick to identify the effect from slow and fast neutrons. Intensities of several characteristic γ-lines were measured, including intensity of the 139.9 keV γ-line from the reaction 74Ge(n,γ)75mGe, usually used for estimation of thermal neutron flux. Obtained results signify that only a part of the detected 139.9 keV γ-rays originate from thermal neutron capture. Some preliminary results indicate that in our detection setup thermal neutron capture contributes with 30% to 50% to the total intensity of the 139.9 keV γ-line, depending on the thickness of the PVC plates.