Detection of spallation neutrons and protons using the natCd activation technique in transmutation experiments at Dubna

Various spallation sources have been used to transmute long-lived radioactive waste, mostly making use of the wide energy neutron fluence. In addition to neutrons, a large number of protons and gamma rays are also emitted from these sources. In this paper natCd is proved to be a useful activation detector for determining both thermal–epithermal neutron as well as secondary proton fluences. The fluences measured with natCd compared with other experimental data and calculations of DCM-DEM code were found to be in reasonable agreement. An accumulation of therma–epithermal neutrons around the center of the target (i.e. after approx. 10 cm) and of secondary protons towards the end of the target is observed.