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Abstract
In recent years, the price increase of 3He has triggered the search for alternative neutron detectors. One of the viable options is a scintillation-based neutron detector. Usually, photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) are used in these detectors for photodetection. However, the increase in performance requirements such as the operability in magnetic field and spatial resolution necessitates an advanced neutron detector. Therefore, we developed a detector prototype with an active area of 13 cm $\times\,13$ cm using silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs). As compared to PMTs, SiPMs offer more compactness, more robustness, and a lower sensitivity to magnetic field. The final detector is aimed to be used in the future at the TREFF instrument of the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum (MLZ) in Garching, Germany, for neutron reflectometry (NR). First measurements were carried out at TREFF and at the dedicated detector test instrument V17 at BER-II of HZB in Berlin, Germany. In this study, we report the results for detection efficiency, gamma discrimination, 2-D position resolution, count rate, and detection linearity.
Highlights
T HE demand for a thermal neutron detector as an alternative to 3He tubes is growing due to the rise in price for 3He in 2009 [1]
We developed an advanced neutron detector based on the Anger camera [3] approach, using 6Li glass scintillators, which offers high spatial resolution, a scalable detection area, a high detection efficiency, and a high count rate capability
The electromechanical complexity associated with their development, high sensitivity to magnetic fields, high voltage requirements, and low (∼30%) photon detection efficiency (PDE) limit the usability of these position-sensitive neutron detectors (PSNDs)
Summary
T HE demand for a thermal neutron detector as an alternative to 3He tubes is growing due to the rise in price for 3He in 2009 [1]. We developed an advanced neutron detector based on the Anger camera [3] approach, using 6Li glass scintillators, which offers high spatial resolution, a scalable detection area, a high detection efficiency, and a high count rate capability. Photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) are used as photodetectors in 2-D position-sensitive neutron detectors (PSNDs) [4]–[6]. The scintillator detector prototype we built for detecting cold and thermal neutrons is based on a solid-state photodetector, namely silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) [7]. We tested our detector prototype with cold (λ = 5 Å) and thermal neutrons (λ = 3.35 Å) at two research reactors: FRM-II and BER-II in order to evaluate the detector efficiency, gamma discrimination, spatial resolution, count rate, and linearity. No filter was used to get rid of higher harmonics, so it is possible that the beam was “contaminated” by neutrons of the half wavelength (1.68 Å)
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