Lithium-free scintillation glasses for fast-neutron detection

Journal Article · Thu Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1987 · Rev. Sci. Instrum.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1139487· OSTI ID:5886029

Smith, J R; Fisher, R K; Leffler, J S

In this article, we present observed characteristics of new lithium-free scintillation glasses which have been developed to make time-resolved measurements of the 14-MeV neutron flux from deuterium plasmas. These measurements will yield information on the burnup of tritons in today's deuterium plasmas and are needed to better predict the confinement and slowdown of alpha particles in future D--T burning plasmas. The new glasses were formulated to have good detection efficiency for 14-MeV neutrons, and yet be insensitive to 2.5-MeV and lower-energy neutrons. The glass response to alpha, gamma, and neutron radiation is shown. The intrinsic neutron detection efficiency of the scintillation glass is seen to increase significantly as a function of neutron energy, providing the necessary discrimination against low-energy neutrons. We discuss the reactions which determine the glass neutron response and suggest that this response is dominated at higher neutron energies by gamma rays created by neutrons inelastically scattering from oxygen present in the glass. For high-energy neutron detection in the presence of excessive background gamma radiation, we discuss a new coincidence configuration of lithium-free scintillation glass with NE213 liquid scintillator.

• Research Organization: GA Technologies Inc., San Diego, California 92138
• OSTI ID: 5886029
• Journal Information: Rev. Sci. Instrum.; (United States), Journal Name: Rev. Sci. Instrum.; (United States) Vol. 58:10; ISSN RSINA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360605 -- Materials-- Radiation Effects
440103* -- Radiation Instrumentation-- Nuclear Spectroscopic Instrumentation
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700102 -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Diagnostics
BARYON REACTIONS
D-D REACTORS
D-T REACTORS
DESIGN
DETECTION
GLASS SCINTILLATORS
HADRON REACTIONS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
NEUTRON DETECTION
NEUTRON DETECTORS
NEUTRON FLUX
NEUTRON REACTIONS
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
NUCLEON REACTIONS
OXYGEN 16 TARGET
PERFORMANCE
PERFORMANCE TESTING
PHOSPHORS
PHYSICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
PLASMA DIAGNOSTICS
RADIATION DETECTION
RADIATION DETECTORS
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATION FLUX
SILICON 28 TARGET
TARGETS
TESTING
THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS