The Monte-Carlo simulation on a scintillator neutron detector

A simulation of the properties of the shifting scintillator neutron detector using 6LiF/ZnS(Ag) scintillation screens is performed.The simulation results show that the light attenuation length of standard BC704 scintillator is about 0.65 mm.Its thermal neutron detection efficiency,gamma sensitivity and intrinsic spatial resolution can achieve around 50.0%,10 5and 0.18 mm(along X-axis) respectively.For the detector,air coupling position resolution is better than the silicone oil coupling.Some of the simulation results are compared with experimental results.They are in agreement.This work will be helpful for constructing neutron detector for high intensity powder diffractometer at Chinese spallation neutron source.     

用于DPF装置中子测量的闪烁体探测器

 介绍了一种用于等离子体焦点装置(DPF装置)中子波形测量的塑料闪烁体探测器,该探测器由ST401型塑料闪烁体、XP2262B型光电倍增管构成。利用银活化中子探测器和DPF装置对该塑料闪烁体探测器进行标定,确定其中子灵敏度为0.022 5 pC每中子,,中子产额测量范围达到10⁹～10¹¹每脉冲,可以满足DPF装置中子参数测量的需要。     

Study of a nTHGEM-based thermal neutron detector

With new generation neutron sources, traditional neutron detectors cannot satisfy the demands of the applications, especially under high flux. Furthermore, facing the global crisis in ~3He gas supply, research on new types of neutron detector as an alternative to ~3He is a research hotspot in the field of particle detection. GEM(Gaseous Electron Multiplier) neutron detectors have high counting rate, good spatial and time resolution, and could be one future direction of the development of neutron detectors. In this paper, the physical process of neutron detection is simulated with Geant 4 code, studying the relations between thermal conversion efficiency, boron thickness and number of boron layers. Due to the special characteristics of neutron detection, we have developed a novel type of special ceramic n THGEM(neutron THick GEM) for neutron detection. The performance of the n THGEM working in different Ar/CO_2 mixtures is presented, including measurements of the gain and the count rate plateau using a copper target X-ray source. A detector with a single n THGEM has been tested for 2-D imaging using a ~(252)Cf neutron source. The key parameters of the performance of the n THGEM detector have been obtained, providing necessary experimental data as a reference for further research on this detector.     

中国散裂中子源反角白光中子束流参数的初步测量

中国散裂中子源(CSNS)已于2018年5月建设完工,随后进行了试运行.其中的反角白光中子束线(Back-n)可用于中子核数据测量、中子物理研究和核技术应用等多方面的实验.本文报道对该中子束的品质参数测量实验过程以及最终实验结果.实验主要采用中子飞行时间法,利用~(235)U,~(238)U裂变室和~6Li-Si探测器测量了中子能谱和中子注量率,又利用闪烁体-互补金属氧化物半导体探测系统测量了中子束斑的剖面,得到了该束线的初步实验测量结果.其中白光中子的全能谱测量范围eV—100 MeV,给出了不确定度分析;给出了中子注量率两个实验厅位置的满功率值;给出了白光中子在直径60 mm情况下的全能区束斑.通过与模拟结果的比较探讨了以上结果的合理性,并提出了改进计划.这些实验结果为以后该束线的核数据测量和探测器标定实验奠定了基础.     

Ultracold neutron detector for the spectrometer of a neutron lifetime measuring

The gas-discharge detector is designed for the neutron lifetime spectrometer. The detector is intended for ultracold neutron flux monitoring in measurement cycles at the specrtometer (ILL, Grenoble, France). The detector has been successively tested with a Pu–Be neutron source under laboratory conditions and as a part of the spectrometer.     

Dosimetry and spectrometry at accelerator based neutron source for boron neutron capture therapy

An innovative accelerator-based neutron source for boron neutron capture therapy has started operation at the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics, Novosibirsk. This facility is based on a compact vacuum insulation tandem accelerator designed to produce proton current up to 10 mA. Epithermal neutrons are proposed to be generated by 1.915 MeV protons bombarding a lithium target using ⁷Li(p,n)⁷Be threshold reaction.In the article, techniques to detect neutron and gamma-rays at the facility are described. Gamma radiation is measured with NaI and BGO gamma-spectrometers. The total yield of neutrons is determined by measuring the 477 keV γ-quanta from beryllium decay. For the rough analysis of the generated neutron spectrum we used bubble detectors. As the epithermal neutrons are of interest for neutron capture therapy the NaI detector is used as activation detector. We plan to use a time-of-flight technique for neutron spectra measurement. To realize this technique a new solution of short time neutron generation is proposed.     

A capture-gated fast neutron detection method

To address the problem of the shortage of neutron detectors used in radiation portal monitors(RPMs),caused by the ~3He supply crisis, research on a cadmium-based capture-gated fast neutron detector is presented in this paper. The detector is composed of many 1 cm × 1 cm × 20 cm plastic scintillator cuboids covered by 0.1 mm thick film of cadmium. The detector uses cadmium to absorb thermal neutrons and produce capture γ-rays to indicate the detection of neutrons, and uses plastic scintillator to moderate neutrons and register γ-rays. This design removes the volume competing relationship in traditional ~3He counter-based fast neutron detectors, which hinders enhancement of the neutron detection efficiency. Detection efficiency of 21.66% ± 1.22% has been achieved with a 40.4 cm × 40.4cm × 20 cm overall detector volume. This detector can measure both neutrons and γ-rays simultaneously. A small detector(20.2 cm × 20.2 cm × 20 cm) demonstrated a 3.3 % false alarm rate for a ~(252)Cf source with a neutron yield of 1841 n/s from 50 cm away within 15 s measurement time. It also demonstrated a very low(0.06%) false alarm rate for a 3.21 × 10~5 Bq ~(137)Cs source. This detector offers a potential single-detector replacement for both neutron and the γ-ray detectors in RPM systems.     

SiC基中子探测器对热中子的响应

以SiC二极管和中子转换材料6LiF为基础,研制了SiC基中子探测器,并用241Am源与临界装置分别研究了SiC基中子探测器的粒子响应、热中子响应。结果表明:SiC基中子探测器能够满足241Am源粒子的计数测量,但由于SiC二极管灵敏区薄,故不能用于5.48 MeV的粒子能谱测量;SiC基中子探测器对热中子响应良好,不同功率下,脉冲幅度谱中可清晰看到由6Li(n,)3H的反应产物粒子、3H粒子形成的双峰;脉冲幅度甄别法可将射线及电子学噪声甄别掉;在直接测量与符合测量中,SiC基中子探测器的计数率均与临界装置功率成线性关系,且直接测量的线性度比符合测量的线性度好,最好可达0.999 97。研究表明:降低肖特基接触金属的厚度、增加其外延层厚度、提高其外延层品质,可将SiC二极管用于带电粒子能谱测量。     

Low energy gamma rays from thermal neutron capture

The beam tubeP2 of the 4 MW FRM pool reactor was used as the neutron source for this nuclear spectroscopy study. An 8.5 and 13.5 cm lithium drifted germanium detector were used as gamma ray detector to measure the low energy prompt photon emissions from thermal neutron capture in 18 elements (12 rare earth elements) having aσ/A value greater than 0.1. The energy region was from 50–500 keV. Energy and intensity of the gamma ray lines are given.     

Determination of the neutron binding energy of the delayed neutron emitter137Xe

The neutron binding energy of¹³⁷Xe has been deduced to be 4025.2±0.6 keV from a study of the¹³⁶Xe(n, γ)¹³⁷Xe reaction. The importance of a precise value for this quantity is due to the fact that an accurate determination of binding energies of delayed neutron emitters is possible only for⁸⁷Kr and¹³⁷Xe, neighbouring stable isotopes. Nuclear reaction.¹³⁶Xe(n,γ), enriched target; measurede89-01, deduced neutron binding energy, Ge(Li) detector.     

中子散射成像探测角分辨研究

中子散射成像技术是近年来国外正在发展的一项新型辐射成像技术, 在深空宇宙探测、核材料监控等方面具有广阔的应用前景. 角分辨是衡量该技术成像能力的一项重要参数. 研究了位置不确定度和能量分辨对角分辨的影响. 理论分析表明: 以不同角度散射, 成像的角分辨不同; 位置不确定不仅直接影响角分辨, 还通过影响能量不确定度对角分辨间接贡献; 位置分辨主要来源于探测器的结构尺寸, 当探测器尺寸小于5 cm, 影响角分辨的主要来源是能量不确定度. 利用所获得的理论结果指导设计了原理探测系统, 并对设计的原理系统开展了初步实验研究. 结果表明, 分析结果与实验得到的角分辨参数基本一致.     

Study on the imaging ability of the 2D neutron detector based on MWPC

A 2D neutron detector based on 3 He convertor and MWPC with an active area of 200 mm×200 mm has been successfully designed and fabricated.The detector has been tested with Am/Be neutron source and with collimated neutron beam with the wavelength of =1.37.The best spatial resolution of 1.18 mm(FWHM) and good linearity were obtained.This is in good agreement with theoretical calculations.     

Design of the thermal neutron detection system for CJPL-Ⅱ

A low background thermal neutron flux detection system has been designed to measure the ambient thermal neutron flux of the second phase of the China Jinping Underground Laboratory(CJPL-Ⅱ),right after completion of the rock bolting work.A ~3He proportional counter tube combined with an identical ~4He proportional counter tube was employed as the thermal neutron detector,which has been optimised in energy resolution,wall effect and radioactivity of construction materials for low background performance.The readout electronics were specially designed for long-term stable operation and easy maintenance in an underground laboratory under construction.The system was installed in Lab Hall No.3 of CJPL-Ⅱ and accumulated data for about 80 days.The ambient thermal neutron flux was determined under the assumption that the neutron field is fully thermalized,uniform and isotropic at the measurement position.     

Preequilibrium proton and α emission from neutron induced reactions in CsI

Angle integrated energy spectra of protons (plus deuterons) andα particles have been obtained from neutron bombardment of a CsI crystal serving both as detector and target. Measurements were performed for neutron energies between 14 and 32 MeV. An explanation of proton andα yields cannot be given by statistical evaporation, but requires the assumption of a preequilibrium mechanism dominating for projectile energies in excess of 20 MeV. For these neutron energies the hard components of the proton andα particle spectra can be described quantitatively with the hybrid and the quasi free scattering preequilibrium model, respectively.     

Fast neutron scattering from rubidium

A study was made of the (n, n), (n, n′), and (n, n′ γ) reactions which occur when a natural rubidium scattering sample is exposed to mono-energetic neutron fluxes of energies ranging from 120 to 1910 keV. Total cross sections, elastic scattering angular distributions and excitation functions for inelastic scattering were measured with a neutron time-of-flight spectrometer. Results are compared with Hauser-Feshbach theory. A 40 cc Ge(Li) detector was used in the time-gated mode to measure γ-rays from the (n, n′ γ) reaction. The latter measurements were used to refine and extend the energy level schemes derived from neutron spectroscopy. Several new levels were discovered in the low-lying (below 1900 keV) energy level spectra of⁸⁵Rb and⁸⁷Rb. Gamma decay schemes and branching ratios were determined for the low-lying levels of⁸⁵Rb and⁸⁷Rb.     

Precise determination of neutron binding energy of <Superscript>64</Superscript>Cu

The neutron binding energy in ⁶⁴Cu has been accurately measured in thermal neutron capture. A composite target of natural Cu and NaCl was used on a high flux neutron beam using a large measuring time. The γ-ray spectrum emitted in the (n, γ) reaction was measured with a HPGe detector in large statistics (up to 10⁶ events per channel). Intrinsic limitations of HPGe detectors, which restrict the accuracy of energy calibration, were determined. The value B _n of ⁶⁴Cu was determined as 7915.867(24) keV.     

Neutron lifetime and the background structure in a neutron magnetic trap

A new cycle of processing the 1985–1986 experimental data concerning the storage of neutrons in a magnetic gravitational trap was carried out. It was shown that the count rates determined for the background are multiples of the neutron decay constant. This is explained by the fact that the background in the experiment on the storage of ultracold neutrons was caused by the electron count from background neutrons penetrating through trap walls. Numerous measurements for a small and varying number of background neutrons in the trap make it possible to extract and use data for determining the mean neutron lifetime. This lifetime turns out to be τtn=900.01±0.15 s in a nonuniform magnetic field.