Organic liquid scintillation detector shape and volume impact on radiation portal monitors

Abstract

We have developed and tested a radiation portal monitor using organic liquid scintillation detectors. In order to optimize our system designs, neutron measurements were carried out with three organic liquid scintillation detectors of different shapes and sizes, along with a 3He radiation portal monitor (RPM) as a reference.The three liquids tested were a 7.62cm diameter by 7.62cm length cylindrical active volume organic liquid scintillation detector, a 12.7cm diameter by 12.7cm length cylindrical active volume organic liquid scintillation detector, and a 25cm by 25cm by 10cm “paddle” shaped organic liquid scintillation detector. Background and Cf-252 neutron measurements were recorded to allow for a comparison of neutron intrinsic efficiencies as well as receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves between detectors.The 12.7cm diameter cylindrical active volume organic liquid scintillation detector exhibited the highest intrinsic neutron efficiency (54%) of all three liquid scintillators. An ROC curve analysis for a heavily moderated Cf-252 measurement showed that using the 12.7cm diameter by 12.7cm length cylindrical active volume Eljen EJ309 organic liquid scintillation detector would result in the fewest needed detector units in order to achieve a near 100% positive neutron alarm rate while maintaining a better than 1 in 10,000 false alarm rate on natural neutron background. A small number of organic liquid scintillation detectors could therefore be a valid alternative to 3He in some RPM applications.