Nuclear and radiological characterization of a 226Ra-Be neutron irradiator at INFISA-UNMSM, Peru, using Monte Carlo simulation with the OpenMC code

A neutron irradiator consisting of a 226 Ra-Be source with a 3 mCi activity of radium, used for the early teaching of neutron activation experiments, belonging to the INFISA-UNMSM, was characterized using the relatively new open-source framework OpenMC. The 226 Ra-Be source is located inside a hermetically sealed nickel-soldered cylinder filled with activated carbon. This cylinder, in turn, is inside a larger cylinder filled with paraffin wax, with seven irradiation channels. These channels were characterized for axial and radial neutron flux, prompt gamma flux, and dose equivalent rate (H* (10) ) both inside the irradiation channels and on the exterior of the cylinder.