Abstract
Neutrons are a valuable tool for non-destructive material investigation as their interaction cross sections with matter are isotope sensitive and can be used complementary to x-rays. So far, most neutron applications have been limited to large-scale facilities such as nuclear research reactors, spallation sources, and accelerator-driven neutron sources. Here we show the design and optimization of a laser-driven neutron source in the epi-thermal and thermal energy range, which is used for non-invasive material analysis. Neutron resonance spectroscopy, neutron radiography, and neutron resonance imaging with moderated neutrons are demonstrated for investigating samples in terms of isotope composition and thickness. The experimental results encourage applications in non-destructive and isotope-sensitive material analysis and pave the way for compact laser-driven neutron sources with high application potential.
Highlights
Neutrons are a valuable tool for non-destructive material investigation as their interaction cross sections with matter are isotope sensitive and can be used complementary to x-rays
We show experimental results and demonstrate neutron resonance spectroscopy (NRS) using epithermal neutrons, neutron radiography using thermal neutrons, and a simplified variant of neutron resonance imaging (NRI) with thermal neutrons
We presented an optimized Laser-driven neutron sources (LDNS) and demonstrated NRS in the epithermal range as well as neutron radiography and a variant of NRI in the thermal range, which were hitherto limited to largescale neutron sources
Summary
Neutrons are a valuable tool for non-destructive material investigation as their interaction cross sections with matter are isotope sensitive and can be used complementary to x-rays. We show the design and optimization of a laser-driven neutron source in the epi-thermal and thermal energy range, which is used for non-invasive material analysis. As the neutron cross-sections have strong isotope-dependent resonances in the so-called epithermal energy regime between 1 eV and several keV, energy-sensitive measurements enable isotope-selective material characterization. This is pursued in neutron resonance spectroscopy (NRS), where the attenuation of neutrons through a sample is measured energyresolved, using the time-of-flight of a short-pulsed neutron source[5]. A proof-of-concept of NRI was applied to identify cadmium in a sample arrangement by scanning through resonant and non-resonant energy ranges
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