MEASUREMENT AND ANALYSIS OF THE NEUTRON ENERGY SPECTRUM AND ASSOCIATED OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE FROM A SHIELDED241AM-BE SOURCE.

A set of five Bonner spheres was used to measure the ambient neutron H*(10) dose around an orphan 241Am-Be neutron source shielded with different arrangements and types of neutron-absorbing materials. These results were compared to measurements obtained using a portable radiation dosemeter. The Bonner sphere measurement results identified the presence of a large thermal and intermediate neutron component from the shielded 241Am-Be source that was not revealed using the portable instrument.