Development of Neutron-monitor Detectors Applicable to Energies from Thermal to 100 MeV

Abstract

A method for evaluating the neutron dose from several MeV to 100 MeV was developed using a BC501 A-type liquid scintillator. The neutron dose is evaluated from the light output of the BC501A by applying the G-function, which relates the light output of the BC501A to the ambient dose equivalent. On the basis of the G-function method, a hybrid neutron detector consisting of the BC501A coupled with a 6Li glass scintillator was developed to extend the measurable energy to the thermal range. The energy response of the detector was studied with 252Cf and 241 Am-Be neutron sources and mono-energetic neutrons from 8 keV to 65 MeV produced by accelerators. The ambient dose equivalents were evaluated using the energy response characteristics of the detector for several neutron fields in accelerator facilities. It was concluded from the analysis that the hybrid detector can be applied to accurate neutron monitoring from thermal energy up to 100 MeV