Re: AmBe neutron and gamma spectrums (fwd)

[Bill Pitchford <Bill.Pitchford@asu.edu>]

Bill Pitchford
Radiation Protection Facility
Arizona State University
Tempe, Arizona 85287-3501

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 27 Nov 1996 04:24:51 -0700 (MST)
From: Bill Pitchford <wpitch4d@imap2.asu.edu>
To: radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu
Cc: Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
Subject: Re: AmBe neutron and gamma spectrums

emitter		alpha energy		percentage of total events

Am-241		5.48574 MeV		85.2
Am-241		5.44298 MeV		12.8
Am-243		5.2754  MeV		87.9
Am-243		5.2335  MeV		10.6

alpha + Be-9 --> C-12 + neutron {(3.7 MeV threshold for alpha)}

gamma + Be-9 --> Be-8 + neutron {(1.666 MeV threshold for gamma)}

emitter		photon energy		percentage of total events

Am-241		13.9    keV		43
Am-241		59.5370 keV		35.9
Am-241		69.2    keV AVG		0.18 SUM (137 weak gammas)

Am-243		74.670  keV		66
Am-243		13.9    keV		39
Am-243		48.4    keV AVG		0.16 SUM (9 weak gammas)

See Figure 2.14 on p.37 of Shapiro for Am-Be neutron energy spectrum
(peaks near 3.5 MeV and 5 MeV, typical values between 2 and 8 MeV with 
some possibility well beyond 10 MeV)

Data from Kocher, Turner, Cember, Shapiro, and Shleien, et al.

More Data in Evans and a host of others.