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Characterization and pulse-shape discrimination of a multi-stacked structure of ZnS: Ag/PMMA for fast-neutron detection in high-flux environments

Journal Article · · Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
 [1];  [2];  [2]
  1. Kansas State Univ., Manhattan, KS (United States). Dept. of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering. Semiconductor Materials and Radiological Technologies Lab.; Kansas State Univ., Manhattan, KS (United States)
  2. Kansas State Univ., Manhattan, KS (United States). Dept. of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering. Semiconductor Materials and Radiological Technologies Lab.
+ Show Author Affiliations
The Micro-Layered Fast Neutron Detector (MLFD) is a proton-recoil scintillator that incorporates the basic concept of a Hornyak button detector with an improved design using a layered structure of ZnS:Ag and PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate). The MLFD was predicted to have low sensitivity to gamma rays, hence pulse shape discrimination was performed to determine the gamma-ray contribution. Presented in this paper are the pulse-shape discrimination characteristics of the MLFD. Additionally, the charge integration technique was employed to discriminate between the neutrons and gamma rays using a fast digitzer. The MLFD was found to exhibit excellent neutron/gamma-ray discrimination, with the highest Figure-of-Merit (FoM) being 4.56. With PSD, the neutron signal is distinct from gamma-ray, Ĉerenkov and electronic noise signals. This clear separation was achieved due to the large differences in decay times of the neutron and gamma-ray-induced pulses in the ZnS:Ag phosphor. The MLFD can be employed in high gamma-ray exposure fields, up to at least 1287.7 mR/hr, without appreciable degradation in PSD performance.
Research Organization:
Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE; USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)
Grant/Contract Number:
NE0008305
OSTI ID:
1850464
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1809334
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. 984; ISSN 0168-9002
Publisher:
ElsevierCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Proton recoil detector
Pulse shape discrimination