Abstract
A neutron detector using a fine-grained nuclear emulsion has a sub-micron spatial resolution and thus has potential to be applied as high-resolution neutron imaging. In this paper, we present two approaches to applying the emulsion detectors for neutron imaging. One is using a track analysis to derive the reaction points for high resolution. From an image obtained with a 9 μm pitch Gd grating with cold neutrons, periodic peak with a standard deviation of μm was observed. The other is an approach without a track analysis for high-density irradiation. An internal structure of a crystal oscillator chip, with a scale of approximately 30 μm, was able to be observed after an image analysis.
Highlights
Photographic emulsions made of silver halide crystals dispersed in gelatin were used in film batches and has been used in X-ray imaging because ionization by charged particles can be visualized as shading of silver grains through the development process
With the development of digital imaging devices such as charge-coupled devices (CCDs), photographic emulsion detectors are not being used in neutron imaging applications because of the difficulties associated with real-time measurements
The corresponding full width half maximum (FWHM) value is 3.1 μm, which is almost same as the aperture width of 3 μm, indicating that achievable resolution in neutron imaging is better than 3 μm
Summary
Photographic emulsions made of silver halide crystals dispersed in gelatin were used in film batches and has been used in X-ray imaging because ionization by charged particles can be visualized as shading of silver grains through the development process (photographic processing). In the field of nuclear particle physics, photographic emulsions continued to be developed; the size, sensitivity, and ratio of silver halide crystals in gelatin were tuned for recording the charged particle tracks. We used boron as a neutron converter and irradiated it with cold and ultra- cold neutrons, achieving a spatial resolution of up to nm This detector is not suitable for applications in which neutron energy measurement is required, but it is expected to be useful in applications such as neutron imaging. Because the track is approximately 5 μm, it is possible to use this detector for image detection with a spatial resolution of less than μm without track analysis. It is easier to strengthen the contrast in high-spatial-resolution measurements when using longer-wavelength neutrons, as it is often necessary to observe subtle changes in the internal structure of a sample Considering these facts, we developed a cold neutron imaging system. This thin, light, and size-adjustable emulsion detector can be set up anywhere
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