Optimization of Shadow Cone Length and Mass for Determining the Amount of Scattered Radiation Dose in the Calibration Laboratory of Am/Be Neutron Source

The shadow cone technique is one of the methods which is used for determining the contribution of scattered particles on the response of neutron detectors. This technique is used for neutron field calibration in Agriculture, Medicine and Industry Research School (AMIRS). In this investigation, we have designed and constructed an optimized shadow cone. According to the calculated neutron dose equivalent attenuation factors, a cone with 20 cm of iron and 30 cm of polyethylene has been found as optimum. For this cone, the neutron dose equivalent attenuation factor for 241Am/Be neutron source, is 0.00035 for which the contribution of scattered neutrons in AMIRS neutron calibration laboratory according to the calculation and measurement results, can be evaluated with less than 0.5% of error.