Deuterated-xylene (xylene-d 10 ; EJ301D): A new, improved deuterated liquid scintillator for neutron energy measurements without time-of-flight
Abstract
In conjunction with Eljen Technology, Inc. (Sweetwater,TX) we have designed, constructed, and evaluated a 3 in. x 3 in. deuterated-xylene organic liquid scintillator (C8D10; EJ301D) as a fast neutron detector. Similar to deuterated benzene (C6D6; NE230, BC537, and EJ315) this scintillator can provide good pulse-shape discrimination between neutrons and gamma rays, has good timing characteristics, and can provide a light spectrum with peaks corresponding to discrete neutron energy groups up to ca. 20 MeV. Unlike benzene-based detectors, deuterated xylene is less volatile, less toxic, is not known to be carci-nogenic, has a higher flashpoint, and hence is much safer for many applications. In addition EJ301D can provide slightly more light output and better PSD than deuterated-benzene scintillators. We show that, as with deuterated-benzene scintillators, the light-response spectra can be unfolded to provide useable neutron energy spectra without need for time-of-flight (ToF). An array of these detectors arranged at many angles close to a reaction target can be much more effective ( x 10 to x 100 or more) than an array of long-path ToF detectors which must utilize a narrowly-bunched and pulse-selected beam. As we demonstrate using a small Van de Graaff accelerator, measurements can thus be performed when amore »
- Authors:
-
- Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1366590
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1359635
- Grant/Contract Number:
- NA0002534; NA 0002534
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 820; Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 0168-9002
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY; Neutron detection; Neutron spectroscopy; Neutron scintillators; Deuterated scintillators; Nuclear safeguards
Citation Formats
Becchetti, F. D., Raymond, R. S., Torres-Isea, R. O., Di Fulvio, A., Clarke, S. D., Pozzi, S. A., and Febbraro, M. Deuterated-xylene (xylene-d 10 ; EJ301D): A new, improved deuterated liquid scintillator for neutron energy measurements without time-of-flight. United States: N. p., 2016.
Web. doi:10.1016/j.nima.2016.02.058.
Becchetti, F. D., Raymond, R. S., Torres-Isea, R. O., Di Fulvio, A., Clarke, S. D., Pozzi, S. A., & Febbraro, M. Deuterated-xylene (xylene-d 10 ; EJ301D): A new, improved deuterated liquid scintillator for neutron energy measurements without time-of-flight. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2016.02.058
Becchetti, F. D., Raymond, R. S., Torres-Isea, R. O., Di Fulvio, A., Clarke, S. D., Pozzi, S. A., and Febbraro, M. Sat .
"Deuterated-xylene (xylene-d 10 ; EJ301D): A new, improved deuterated liquid scintillator for neutron energy measurements without time-of-flight". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2016.02.058. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1366590.
@article{osti_1366590,
title = {Deuterated-xylene (xylene-d 10 ; EJ301D): A new, improved deuterated liquid scintillator for neutron energy measurements without time-of-flight},
author = {Becchetti, F. D. and Raymond, R. S. and Torres-Isea, R. O. and Di Fulvio, A. and Clarke, S. D. and Pozzi, S. A. and Febbraro, M.},
abstractNote = {In conjunction with Eljen Technology, Inc. (Sweetwater,TX) we have designed, constructed, and evaluated a 3 in. x 3 in. deuterated-xylene organic liquid scintillator (C8D10; EJ301D) as a fast neutron detector. Similar to deuterated benzene (C6D6; NE230, BC537, and EJ315) this scintillator can provide good pulse-shape discrimination between neutrons and gamma rays, has good timing characteristics, and can provide a light spectrum with peaks corresponding to discrete neutron energy groups up to ca. 20 MeV. Unlike benzene-based detectors, deuterated xylene is less volatile, less toxic, is not known to be carci-nogenic, has a higher flashpoint, and hence is much safer for many applications. In addition EJ301D can provide slightly more light output and better PSD than deuterated-benzene scintillators. We show that, as with deuterated-benzene scintillators, the light-response spectra can be unfolded to provide useable neutron energy spectra without need for time-of-flight (ToF). An array of these detectors arranged at many angles close to a reaction target can be much more effective ( x 10 to x 100 or more) than an array of long-path ToF detectors which must utilize a narrowly-bunched and pulse-selected beam. As we demonstrate using a small Van de Graaff accelerator, measurements can thus be performed when a bunched and pulse-selected beam (as needed for time-of-flight) is not available.},
doi = {10.1016/j.nima.2016.02.058},
journal = {Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment},
number = C,
volume = 820,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Feb 20 00:00:00 EST 2016},
month = {Sat Feb 20 00:00:00 EST 2016}
}
Web of Science
Works referenced in this record:
Plastic scintillators with efficient neutron/gamma pulse shape discrimination
journal, March 2012
- Zaitseva, Natalia; Rupert, Benjamin L.; PaweŁczak, Iwona
- Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 668, p. 88-93
Neutron response characterization for an EJ299-33 plastic scintillation detector
journal, September 2014
- Lawrence, Chris C.; Febbraro, Michael; Massey, Thomas N.
- Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 759
Measurement of the response of several organic scintillators to electrons, protons and deuterons
journal, September 1968
- Smith, D. L.; Polk, R. G.; Miller, T. G.
- Nuclear Instruments and Methods, Vol. 64, Issue 2
Analysis of response data for several organic scintillators
journal, April 1970
- Craun, R. L.; Smith, D. L.
- Nuclear Instruments and Methods, Vol. 80, Issue 2
Response function measurement of a deuterated scintillator using a 241AmBe source
journal, December 1994
- Naqvi, A. A.; Al-Ohali, M. A.; Nagadi, M. M.
- Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 353, Issue 1-3
The TwinSol low-energy radioactive nuclear beam apparatus: status and recent results
journal, June 2003
- Becchetti, F. D.; Lee, M. Y.; O’Donnell, T. W.
- Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 505, Issue 1-2
Efficiency measurements of deuterated liquid scintillators using d(d,n)3He coincidence events
journal, October 2011
- Villano, A. N.; Becchetti, F. D.; Kolata, J. J.
- Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 652, Issue 1
Development of organic scintillators
journal, June 1979
- Brooks, F. D.
- Nuclear Instruments and Methods, Vol. 162, Issue 1-3, p. 477-505
Deuterated anthracene spectrometer for 5–30 MeV neutrons
journal, July 1988
- Brooks, F. D.; Cilliers, W. A.; Simpson, B. R. S.
- Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 270, Issue 1
Evaluation of large deuterated scintillators for fast neutron detection (E=0.5–20MeV) using the D(d,n)3He, 13C(d,n) and 27Al(d,n) reactions
journal, October 2011
- Ojaruega, M.; Becchetti, F. D.; Villano, A. N.
- Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 652, Issue 1
Deuterated scintillators and their application to neutron spectroscopy
journal, June 2015
- Febbraro, M.; Lawrence, C. C.; Zhu, H.
- Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 784
DESCANT – the deuterated scintillator array for neutron tagging
journal, October 2013
- Garrett, P. E.
- Hyperfine Interactions, Vol. 225, Issue 1-3
Comparison of spectrum-unfolding performance of (EJ315) and (EJ309) liquid scintillators on measured 252Cf pulse-height spectra
journal, November 2013
- Lawrence, Chris C.; Enqvist, Andreas; Flaska, Marek
- Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 729
A study of 14N using the 13C(d, n)14N reaction
journal, March 1973
- Bobbitt, J. R.; Etten, M. P.; Lenz, G. H.
- Nuclear Physics A, Vol. 203, Issue 2
Pulse height model for deuterated scintillation detectors
journal, December 2015
- Wang, Haitang; Enqvist, Andreas
- Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 804
A measurement of the light output function of the deuterated liquid scintillator NE-230 to recoil deuterons with energies between 0.62 and 14.5 MeV
journal, June 1992
- Croft, S.; Adams, J. M.; Bond, D. S.
- Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 316, Issue 2-3
Analysis of neutron and photon detection position for the calibration of plastic (BC-420) and liquid (BC-501) scintillators
journal, May 2004
- Pozzi, Sara A.; Mullens, James A.; Mihalczo, John T.
- Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 524, Issue 1-3
MCNPX-PoliMi for nuclear nonproliferation applications
journal, December 2012
- Pozzi, S. A.; Clarke, S. D.; Walsh, W. J.
- Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 694