Simultaneous Neutron-Photon Dosimetry with a Compact Organic Scintillator Detector

Abstract

In many applications involving radiation fields, it is important to determine dose rates received by radiation workers and the public. In many scenarios, neutrons and photons can both be significant contributors to the dose rate. Traditionally, separate instruments have been used for each particle’s contribution to the dose rate, but it has been shown experimentally that an organic scintillator detector can be used to accurately measure both contributions simultaneously. The scalability of an organic scintillator also allows for use in both high- and low-flux environments. In previous work, we demonstrated the influence of detector size on dose rate measurements. It was shown that a 5.08-cm depth EJ-309 liquid organic scintillator with the smallest diameter possible requires the least corrections to accurately measure dose rate. This work builds on the previous study by demonstrating neutron and photon dose rate measurements with a 50 mm depth × 6mm × 6mm stilbene crystal bar, which is similar in composition to EJ-309, coupled to a silicon photomultiplier readout. The experimentally measured dose rates are compared to simulation and traditional dosimeters to verify accuracy over the sensitivity range of the stilbene detector. This small detector will allow for highly mobile, accurate dosimetry in the field.