Determination of the neutron spectrum shape parameter alpha in k0 NAA methodology using covariance analysis

The k(0) method for quantitative reactor neutron activation analysis (NAA) has been applied in several laboratories for the determination of multi-elemental concentrations in different materials. The general formula that yields the concentration value can be divided in two parts: one involving detection parameters and the other involving irradiation parameters. A rigorous uncertainty calculation must take into account the correlations between each of these parameters. The Nuclear Metrology Laboratory at IPEN has a research program intended to develop a methodology applying covariance analysis in order to obtain the overall uncertainty in the concentrations of different elements in a given sample, and the correlation between each pair of them. The present paper concentrates in the determination of the neutron spectrum shape factor alpha by two methods: Cd-covered and Cd-ratio, using experimental data obtained in the IEA-R1 research reactor. The final values for alpha were: (0.001+/-0.018) and (0.001+/-0.019) for the Cd-covered and Cd-ratio methods, respectively, in good agreement with each other.