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Title: Recoil-proton track imaging as a new way for neutron spectrometry measurements

Journal Article · · Scientific Reports
 [1];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [3];  [1];  [2];  [4];  [2];  [5];  [3];  [1]
  1. Tsinghua Univ., Beijing (People's Republic of China); Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology, Xi'an (People's Republic of China)
  2. Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology, Xi'an (People's Republic of China)
  3. Xi'an Jiaotong Univ., Xi'an (People's Republic of China)
  4. Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology, Xi'an (People's Republic of China); Xi'an Jiaotong Univ., Xi'an (People's Republic of China)
  5. Princeton Univ., Princeton, NJ (United States)

In this paper, recoil-proton track imaging (RPTI) is an attractive technique to optically record the tracks of recoil protons in scintillation gas by using realtime imaging devices. For the first time, its use as an online nuclear track detector for neutron spectrometry measurements (NSM) is explored. Based on the RPTI methodology for NSM, a very basic detector system is designed, consisting of the neutron-to-proton recoil system and proton track imaging system. Satisfactory performance of the RPTI neutron spectrometer has been examined with a series of Monte Carlo simulations. Moreover, using well-defined line-proton sources from a tandem accelerator, the capability of the detector for imaging proton tracks at the single-particle level in real time has been validated in preliminary experiments. From the clear single proton tracks in the images, the proton ranges were easily distinguished, and precise proton energy spectra were unfolded, laying a solid experimental foundation for the future implementation of NSM.

Research Organization:
Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
OSTI ID:
1472056
Journal Information:
Scientific Reports, Journal Name: Scientific Reports Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 8; ISSN 2045-2322
Publisher:
Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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