Improved neutron-gamma discrimination for a ³He neutron detector using subspace learning methods

Journal Article · Fri Feb 10 00:00:00 EST 2017 · Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2017.02.022· OSTI ID:1344270

Wang, C. L. ^[1]; Funk, L. L. ^[1]; Riedel, R. A. ^[1]; Berry, K. D. ^[1]

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1. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

³He gas based neutron linear-position-sensitive detectors (LPSDs) have been applied for many neutron scattering instruments. Traditional Pulse-Height Analysis (PHA) for Neutron-Gamma Discrimination (NGD) resulted in the neutron-gamma efficiency ratio on the orders of 10⁵-10⁶. The NGD ratios of ³He detectors need to be improved for even better scientific results from neutron scattering. Digital Signal Processing (DSP) analyses of waveforms were proposed for obtaining better NGD ratios, based on features extracted from rise-time, pulse amplitude, charge integration, a simplified Wiener filter, and the cross-correlation between individual and template waveforms of neutron and gamma events. Fisher linear discriminant analysis (FLDA) and three multivariate analyses (MVAs) of the features were performed. The NGD ratios are improved by about 10²-10³ times compared with the traditional PHA method. Finally, our results indicate the NGD capabilities of ³He tube detectors can be significantly improved with subspace-learning based methods, which may result in a reduced data-collection time and better data quality for further data reduction.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR); Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Spallation Neutron Source (SNS)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
• Grant/Contract Number: AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 1344270
• Alternate ID(s): OSTI ID: 1412013
• Journal Information: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 853, Issue C; ISSN 0168-9002
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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He-3 neutron detectors
neutron-gamma discrimination
digital signal processing
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