Comparison of experimental and calculated responses of CR-39 to neutron spectra of Am-Be and Cf-252 sources

Previously obtained experimental values of response of CR-39 track-etch det ector to monoenergetic neutrons were used to fit the response as a function of energy. Dose equivalent responses to broad energy neutron spectra calcu lated by means of this fit were compared to the corresponding experimental values to prove the choice of fitting functions. The comparison was carried out for two different electrochemical etching conditions and for both bare and shielded (Fe, resp. paraffin) Am-Be and Cf-252 neutron sources. Good a greement was found for bare sources, some deviations in shielded fields can be explained as a result of a difference between the real neutron spectra in the experiment and the spectra used for calculations. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.