Bulk Elemental Analysis by the Inelastic Scattering of Neutrons Produced with a Van de Graaff Accelerator

Bulk multi-elemental analysis by inelastic neutron scattering with the detection of prompt gamma rays may become an invaluable tool for the non-destructive analysis of rare objects. Various neutron-producing reactions initiated by Van de Graff charged particle beams have been compared for their suitability in multi-elemental analysis. It is concluded that, of the reactions investigated, the 13C(¿, n)16O reaction at E¿ = 3.5 MeV is the most useful for the present applications. Preliminary minimum detection limits are given for fifteen elements.