Design and development of position sensitive detectors for neutron scattering instruments at National Facility for Neutron Beam Research in India

Abstract

Various neutron scattering instruments at Dhruva reactor, BARC, are equipped with indigenously developed neutron detectors. Range of detectors includes proportional counters, beam monitors and linear position sensitive detectors (PSD). One of the instruments is recently upgraded with multi-PSD system of high efficiency and high resolution PSDs arranged in stacking geometry. These efforts have resulted in improving the throughput of the instrument and reducing experiment time. Global scarcity of 3He has made essential to explore other options like BF3 gas and 10B coatings.PSDs with coaxial geometry using BF3 gas and 10B coating (90% enriched) are fabricated and characterized successfully. These PSDs are used as the alternative to 3He PSD in equivalent geometry. Though efficiency of PSDs in similar dimensions is lower than that with 3He, these large numbers of PSDs can be arranged in multi-PSD system. The PSD design is optimized for reasonable efficiency. An array of 60 BF3 filled PSDs (1 m long) is under development for the Time of Flight Instrument at Dhruva. Further improvement in efficiency can be obtained with novel designs with complex anode-cathode geometry. Various challenges arise for long term operation of PSDs with BF3 gas, in addition to complexity of data acquisition electronics. Study of gas aging with detector fabrication materials has been carried out. PSDs with 10B coating show advantage of non toxic nature but have low efficiency. Multiple 10B layers intercepting neutron beam are used to increase the efficiency. PSD designed with small anode- cathode spacing and array of multiwire grids placed between double sided 10B coated plates are being fabricated. Assembly is arranged in curvilinear geometry with zero parallax. Overview of these developments is presented.