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(B4C)-B-10 Multi-Grid as an Alternative to He-3 for Large Area Neutron Detectors

Birch, J. ; Buffet, J. C. ; Correa, J. ; van Esch, P. ; Guerard, B. ; Hall-Wilton, Richard LU ; Höglund, Carina LU ; Hultman, L. ; Khaplanov, Anton LU and Piscitelli, F. (2013) In IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science 60(2). p.871-878
Abstract
Despite its present shortage, He-3 continues to be the most common neutron converter for detectors in neutron scattering science. However, it is obvious that the development of large area neutron detectors based on alternative neutron converters is rapidly becoming a matter of urgency. In the technique presented here, grids each comprising 28 (B4C)-B-10 layers ( each 1 mu m thick) are used to convert neutrons into ionizing particles which are subsequently detected in proportional gas counters. The total active area of the prototype is 8 cm x 200 cm. To instrument this detector 4.6 m(2) of B-10-enriched boron carbide were coated onto aluminium blades using a DC magnetron sputtering machine. Characterization of the prototype showed neutron... (More)
Despite its present shortage, He-3 continues to be the most common neutron converter for detectors in neutron scattering science. However, it is obvious that the development of large area neutron detectors based on alternative neutron converters is rapidly becoming a matter of urgency. In the technique presented here, grids each comprising 28 (B4C)-B-10 layers ( each 1 mu m thick) are used to convert neutrons into ionizing particles which are subsequently detected in proportional gas counters. The total active area of the prototype is 8 cm x 200 cm. To instrument this detector 4.6 m(2) of B-10-enriched boron carbide were coated onto aluminium blades using a DC magnetron sputtering machine. Characterization of the prototype showed neutron efficiency to be epsilon(n) = 46.8% for 2.5 angstrom neutrons, which is in line with expectations from MC simulation. This result demonstrates the potential of this technique as alternative to He-3-based position sensitive detectors. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Boron-lined detector, multi-grid neutron detector, He-3 crisis
in
IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science
volume
60
issue
2
pages
871 - 878
publisher
IEEE - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
external identifiers
  • wos:000320856500067
  • scopus:84876295530
ISSN
0018-9499
DOI
10.1109/TNS.2012.2227798
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
23d9ea16-4d59-4458-ade8-7c006ec97cd7 (old id 3979287)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 13:16:02
date last changed
2022-03-21 17:39:26
@article{23d9ea16-4d59-4458-ade8-7c006ec97cd7,
  abstract     = {{Despite its present shortage, He-3 continues to be the most common neutron converter for detectors in neutron scattering science. However, it is obvious that the development of large area neutron detectors based on alternative neutron converters is rapidly becoming a matter of urgency. In the technique presented here, grids each comprising 28 (B4C)-B-10 layers ( each 1 mu m thick) are used to convert neutrons into ionizing particles which are subsequently detected in proportional gas counters. The total active area of the prototype is 8 cm x 200 cm. To instrument this detector 4.6 m(2) of B-10-enriched boron carbide were coated onto aluminium blades using a DC magnetron sputtering machine. Characterization of the prototype showed neutron efficiency to be epsilon(n) = 46.8% for 2.5 angstrom neutrons, which is in line with expectations from MC simulation. This result demonstrates the potential of this technique as alternative to He-3-based position sensitive detectors.}},
  author       = {{Birch, J. and Buffet, J. C. and Correa, J. and van Esch, P. and Guerard, B. and Hall-Wilton, Richard and Höglund, Carina and Hultman, L. and Khaplanov, Anton and Piscitelli, F.}},
  issn         = {{0018-9499}},
  keywords     = {{Boron-lined detector; multi-grid neutron detector; He-3 crisis}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{871--878}},
  publisher    = {{IEEE - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.}},
  series       = {{IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science}},
  title        = {{(B4C)-B-10 Multi-Grid as an Alternative to He-3 for Large Area Neutron Detectors}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/TNS.2012.2227798}},
  doi          = {{10.1109/TNS.2012.2227798}},
  volume       = {{60}},
  year         = {{2013}},
}