Comparison of HEU and LEU neutron spectra in irradiation facilities at the Oregon State TRIGA® Reactor

As a research reactor, the OSTR provides irradiation facilities for a variety of applications, such as activation analysis, fission-track dating, commercial isotope production, neutron radiography, prompt gamma characterization, and many others. In order to accurately perform these research functions, several studies had been conducted on the HEU FLIP fuel core to characterize the neutron spectra in various experimental facilities of the OSTR (Tiyapun, 1997, Ashbaker, 2005). As useful as these analyses were, they are no longer valid due to the change in fuel composition and the resulting alteration of core performance characteristics. Additionally, the core configuration (fuel reconfiguration) was altered between the HEU and LEU cores. This study characterizes the neutron spectra in various experimental facilities within and around the current LEU core. It also compares the spectra to that which was yielded in the HEU core through use of Monte Carlo n-Particle 5 (MCNP5) and experimental adjustment via a least-squares technique. The quantification of flux spectra are presented and analyzed so as to provide data that is representative of the OSTR's current state (Schickler, 2012).