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Study of the filter method for neutron pulse-height distributions measured with organic scintillators

Journal Article · · Radiation Measurements
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [3];  [4];  [4]
  1. Univ. of Tuzla (Bosnia and Herzegovina); Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radilogical Sciences, University of Michigan
  2. Univ. of Belgrade (Serbia)
  3. Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)
  4. Univ. of Tuzla (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
+ Show Author Affiliations
Identification of neutron sources is of interest in several fields, such as homeland security or basic nu-clear physics. Organic scintillators offer the possibility to unfold fast-neutron energy spectra. Since organic scintillators are sensitive to neutrons and gamma-rays, a method to discriminate these two types of particles is required. This paper is focused on investigation of the discrimination properties of the filter method by using a new procedure. We compare the results of an experimental filter method to a digital pulse-shape discrimination (PSD) method based on charge integration. In addition, these methods are compared to the simulation results obtained with the MCNPX-PoliMi code. The experimental and nu-merical investigations were performed with a 252Cf spontaneous-fission neutron source. The integration of the number of counts gave the relative differences between the experimental filter and digital PSD neutron pulse-height distributions (PHDs) and simulated PHDs less than approximately 5% in the range between 60 keVee and 1.715 MeVee of light output. Above 1.715 MeVee, the PSD method has advantages over the filter method, due to the filter method having significantly worse counting statistics. The results show that the filter method has potential for robust neutron measurements when the PSD method cannot be applied, such as for ‘old’ organic plastic scintillators without PSD capability.
Research Organization:
Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Office of Nonproliferation and Verification Research and Development (NA-22)
Grant/Contract Number:
NA0002534
OSTI ID:
1366591
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 22651167
Journal Information:
Radiation Measurements, Journal Name: Radiation Measurements Journal Issue: C Vol. 86; ISSN 1350-4487
Publisher:
ElsevierCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (8)

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journal February 2004
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journal July 2007
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journal December 2012
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journal September 2013
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Related Subjects

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
MCNPX-PoliMi simulations
Neutron sources
Organic scintillators Filter method
PSD method