A high-efficiency, low-Ĉerenkov Micro-Layered Fast-Neutron Detector for the $$\mathrm{TREAT}$$ hodoscope

Journal Article · Tue Jul 17 00:00:00 EDT 2018 · Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2018.07.035· OSTI ID:1613877

Ghosh, Priyarshini ^[1]; Fu, Wenkai ^[2]; Harrison, Mark J. ^[2]; Doyle, Patrick K. ^[2]; Edwards, Nathaniel S. ^[2]; Roberts, Jeremy A. ^[2]; McGregor, Douglas S. ^[2]

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1. Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS (United States); DOE/OSTI
2. Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS (United States)

Here this paper presents an enabling technology for high-efficiency fast-neutron detection for the Transient Reactor Test (TREAT) Facility hodoscope. The hodoscope is currently outfitted with 25.4-mm long Hornyak buttons for fast-neutron detection. However, they require improvements, as they suffer from low detection efficiency, Ĉerenkov radiation contaminating the signal, and non-linearity of detector response at large transients. To address these issues, a layered ZnS:Ag device has been constructed. The layered design provides various advantages: it incorporates greater scintillation volume, Ĉerenkov background is significantly reduced by eliminating the need for additional light guides, and the detection process is simplified by achieving gamma-ray rejection using only pulse-height discrimination. The result is a greater number of fast neutron counts with reduced background noise contaminating the signal. On being irradiated with a 252Cf source (whose neutron energy spectrum closely mimics a reactor fission spectrum), a 25.4-mm long layered device was found to exhibit an intrinsic fast-neutron detection efficiency of 8.1% for neutrons with an average energy of 2 MeV, while a 43-mm long device allows for a greater number of fast neutron to be detected, increasing the efficiency to 9.1%. Further lengthening of the device up to 20 cm has been numerically predicted to exhibit even higher efficiencies. The detectors can be mass-produced easily and inexpensively.

• Research Organization: Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS (United States); University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)
• Grant/Contract Number: NE0008305
• OSTI ID: 1613877
• Alternate ID(s): OSTI ID: 1548066; OSTI ID: 23064793
• Journal Information: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Journal Name: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment Journal Issue: C Vol. 904; ISSN 0168-9002
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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