Gamma Compensated Pulsed Ionization Chamber Wide Range Neutron/Reactor Power Measurement System

A newly developed pulsed mode of operation of ionization chambers, and the use of neon as an additive to the primary helium fill gas, has demonstrated a wide range capability for neutron flux and reactor power measurements over eight orders of magnitude, independence of high temperature insulator leakage and ionized gas kinetics effects, freedom from recombination effects and a capability for 99% compensation for gamma fields of approximately 105 (R/hr) and higher. A single sensor compensated neutron flux/reactor power measurement system, based on the PIC mode of operation, is proposed that has an inherent linear measurement capability extending over 18 decades of neutron flux density, from approximately 10-2 to 1016 nv.