Energy-resolved fast-neutron radiography using an event-mode neutron imaging detector
(2024) In Scientific Reports 14(1).- Abstract
Energy-resolved fast-neutron radiography is a powerful non-destructive technique that can be used to remotely measure the quantity and distribution of elements and isotopes in a sample. This is done by comparing the energy-dependent neutron transmission of a sample with the known cross-sections of individual isotopes. The reconstruction of the composition is possible due to the unique features (e.g. resonances) in the cross-sections of individual isotopes. At short-pulsed (1 ns) neutron sources, such information is accessible via time-of-flight neutron imaging in principle, but requires a detector with nanosecond temporal resolution. Conventional neutron detectors can meet this requirement only by heavily compromising spatial resolution... (More)
Energy-resolved fast-neutron radiography is a powerful non-destructive technique that can be used to remotely measure the quantity and distribution of elements and isotopes in a sample. This is done by comparing the energy-dependent neutron transmission of a sample with the known cross-sections of individual isotopes. The reconstruction of the composition is possible due to the unique features (e.g. resonances) in the cross-sections of individual isotopes. At short-pulsed (1 ns) neutron sources, such information is accessible via time-of-flight neutron imaging in principle, but requires a detector with nanosecond temporal resolution. Conventional neutron detectors can meet this requirement only by heavily compromising spatial resolution or efficiency. Here, we present a unique approach on fast neutron resonance radiography using a scintillator-based event-mode imaging detector at a short-pulsed neutron source, including first results on spatially mapped resonance profiles using MeV neutrons. The event mode approach applied in the presented detector allows recording of individual neutron interactions with nanosecond precision in time and sub-mm resolution in space. As a result, the entire available neutron energy spectrum can be measured for each pulse. At the same time, the use of a thick scintillator screen and lenses to focus the produced light results in a highly flexible field of view and a high interaction probability in the sensitive volume of the detector.
(Less)
- author
- organization
- publishing date
- 2024-12
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Scientific Reports
- volume
- 14
- issue
- 1
- article number
- 30487
- publisher
- Nature Publishing Group
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:39681581
- scopus:85212180605
- ISSN
- 2045-2322
- DOI
- 10.1038/s41598-024-81412-z
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 245c1c71-8922-446b-bc73-e3f7fbd66af0
- date added to LUP
- 2025-01-16 14:22:21
- date last changed
- 2025-07-04 04:40:43
@article{245c1c71-8922-446b-bc73-e3f7fbd66af0,
abstract = {{<p>Energy-resolved fast-neutron radiography is a powerful non-destructive technique that can be used to remotely measure the quantity and distribution of elements and isotopes in a sample. This is done by comparing the energy-dependent neutron transmission of a sample with the known cross-sections of individual isotopes. The reconstruction of the composition is possible due to the unique features (e.g. resonances) in the cross-sections of individual isotopes. At short-pulsed (1 ns) neutron sources, such information is accessible via time-of-flight neutron imaging in principle, but requires a detector with nanosecond temporal resolution. Conventional neutron detectors can meet this requirement only by heavily compromising spatial resolution or efficiency. Here, we present a unique approach on fast neutron resonance radiography using a scintillator-based event-mode imaging detector at a short-pulsed neutron source, including first results on spatially mapped resonance profiles using MeV neutrons. The event mode approach applied in the presented detector allows recording of individual neutron interactions with nanosecond precision in time and sub-mm resolution in space. As a result, the entire available neutron energy spectrum can be measured for each pulse. At the same time, the use of a thick scintillator screen and lenses to focus the produced light results in a highly flexible field of view and a high interaction probability in the sensitive volume of the detector.</p>}},
author = {{Wolfertz, Alexander and Losko, Adrian and Long, Alexander M. and Brodish, Sophia and Craft, Aaron E. and Khaplanov, Anton and Vogel, Sven C. and Nelson, Ronald O. and Wender, Stephen A. and Tremsin, Anton and Hirsh, Tsviki Y. and Jäger, Tim T. and Morgano, Manuel and Feng, Patrick}},
issn = {{2045-2322}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{1}},
publisher = {{Nature Publishing Group}},
series = {{Scientific Reports}},
title = {{Energy-resolved fast-neutron radiography using an event-mode neutron imaging detector}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-81412-z}},
doi = {{10.1038/s41598-024-81412-z}},
volume = {{14}},
year = {{2024}},
}