Date of Award

3-26-2015

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Department of Engineering Physics

First Advisor

Larry W. Burggraf, PhD.

Abstract

Simulations of muon interactions with high Z material using two different muon energies, 100 MeV and 1 GeV, were performed on five different materials of various atomic numbers yielding average neutron production rates that range from 2.3 ± 0.01 in enriched uranium to negligible amounts in aluminum when exposed to the 100 MeV energy muons. As the muon energy was increased to 1 GeV, neutron yields shrank to negligible levels. Little difference was found in neutron yield produced in non-fissile material. Experimental data was collected by exposing a 15 cm thick block of iron, and 5 and 15 cm thick blocks of lead to the natural atmospheric muon flux. The incident muon energy distribution was found to have a mode of 180 MeV and a mean of 520 MeV. Probability distributions were constructed for the neutron yields of each incident muon and no difference was found in the various distributions. The average muon induced neutron yield was also calculated and found to be 3.4 ± 0.1 for a 15 cm thick block of iron, 2.8 ± 0.1 for a 5 cm thick block of lead, and 2.2 ± 0.1 for a 15 cm thick block of lead.

AFIT Designator

AFIT-ENP-MS-15-M-109

DTIC Accession Number

ADA619023

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