Abstract
The neutron sensitivity of a cylindrical ⊘1.5in.×1.5in. LaBr3:Ce scintillation detector was measured using quasi-monoenergetic neutron beams in the energy range from 40keV to 2.5MeV. In this energy range the detector is sensitive to γ-rays generated in neutron inelastic and capture processes. The experimental energy response was compared with Monte Carlo simulations performed with the Geant4 simulation toolkit using the so-called High Precision Neutron Models. These models rely on relevant information stored in evaluated nuclear data libraries. The performance of the Geant4 Neutron Data Library as well as several standard nuclear data libraries was investigated. In the latter case this was made possible by the use of a conversion tool that allowed the direct use of the data from other libraries in Geant4. Overall it was found that there was good agreement with experiment for some of the neutron data bases like ENDF/B-VII.0 or JENDL-3.3 but not with the others such as ENDF/B-VI.8 or JEFF-3.1.
Highlights
Inorganic scintillation detectors find many applications in γ-ray spectroscopy mainly because of the very large detection efficiencies which can be attained
In the present publication we investigate the question of LaBr3:Ce neutron sensitivity to low energy neutrons
The emitted neutron can interact with the detector introducing effects in the spectra which must be subtracted if we are to obtain the correct information from the analysis of the data. The quantification of this contamination has been the primary motivation for a research programme looking at several inorganic scintillation crystals, using both Monte Carlo (MC) simulations and measurements
Summary
Spain. 2 Present address: National Centre for Nuclear Research, Division BP1, PL-00691 Warsaw, Poland. In nuclear research it is often found that the emission of γ-rays, being the primary object of the study, is accompanied (either simultaneously or alternatively) by the emission of neutrons An example of this situation is the production of neutrons in the reactions used to populate nuclear exited levels in in-beam γ-ray spectroscopy. Another example is the emission of β-delayed neutrons in γ-ray spectroscopy studies of β-decay Neutrons produced in both cases have in common a relatively low energy The emitted neutron can interact with the detector introducing effects in the spectra which must be subtracted if we are to obtain the correct information from the analysis of the data The quantification of this contamination has been the primary motivation for a research programme looking at several inorganic scintillation crystals, using both Monte Carlo (MC) simulations and measurements. This study is performed with well characterized pure neutron beams as a necessary step towards the application to more complex mixed neutron-gamma fields encountered in spectroscopy experiments
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