Performance of piezoresistive and piezoelectric sensors in pulsed reactor experiments

Pulsed reactor-based experiments require radiation tolerant sensors that do not perturb the device under test, or allow a radiation-induced signal to mask the true sensor output. Several commercial off-the-shelf accelerometers, pressure transducers, and acoustic emission sensors were subjected to multiple high-power reactor pulses. A piezoresistive accelerometer capable of operation to at least 44 kGy and 8.7 x 10{sup 15} n/cm{sup 2} is identified, and a piezoresistive pressure transducer that is resistant to about half that radiation level is selected. Further, two piezoelectric acoustic emission sensors employing lead metaniobate are also found to function to 55 kGy and 1.1 x 10{sup 16} n/cm{sup 2}.