A portable and monoenergetic 24 keV neutron source based on ¹²⁴Sb-⁹Be photoneutrons and an iron filter

Abstract A portable monoenergetic 24 keV neutron source based on the 124 Sb- 9 Be photoneutron reaction and an iron filter has been constructed characterized. The coincidence of energy from SbBe low interaction cross-section with (mean free path up to 29 cm) makes pure specially suited shield against gamma rays Sb decays while letting through neutrons. To increase activity thus flux, a >1 GBq was produced by irradiating natural metal pellet high flux thermal neutrons in nuclear reactor. design shielding structure for easy transportation deployment. hydrogen gas proportional counter is used characterize emitted NaI detector background characterization. At exit opening beam, characterization determined range 20–25 be 6.00±0.30 per cm 2 second total 245±8 gammas (numbers scaled 1 source). liquid scintillator demonstrated sensitive incident kinetic energies 8 17 keV, so it can paired as backing scattering calibration experiments. This provides good tool in-situ recoil dark matter experiments coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus