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Investigation of background in large-area neutron detectors due to alpha emission from impurities in aluminium

Birch, J. ; Buffet, J. -C. ; Clergeau, J. -F. ; van Esch, P. ; Ferraton, M. ; Guerard, B. ; Hall-Wilton, Richard LU ; Hultman, L. ; Hoglund, C. and Jensen, J. , et al. (2015) In Journal of Instrumentation 10.
Abstract
Thermal neutron detector based on films of (B4C)-B-10 have been developed as an alternative to He-3 detectors. In particular, The Multi-Grid detector concept is considered for future large area detectors for ESS and ILL instruments. An excellent signal-to-background ratio is essential to attain expected scientific results. Aluminium is the most natural material for the mechanical structure of of the Multi-Grid detector and other similar concepts due to its mechanical and neutronic properties. Due to natural concentration of alpha emitters, however, the background from alpha particles misidentified as neutrons can be unacceptably high. We present our experience operating a detector prototype affected by this issue. Monte Carlo simulations... (More)
Thermal neutron detector based on films of (B4C)-B-10 have been developed as an alternative to He-3 detectors. In particular, The Multi-Grid detector concept is considered for future large area detectors for ESS and ILL instruments. An excellent signal-to-background ratio is essential to attain expected scientific results. Aluminium is the most natural material for the mechanical structure of of the Multi-Grid detector and other similar concepts due to its mechanical and neutronic properties. Due to natural concentration of alpha emitters, however, the background from alpha particles misidentified as neutrons can be unacceptably high. We present our experience operating a detector prototype affected by this issue. Monte Carlo simulations have been used to confirm the background as alpha particles. The issues have been addressed in the more recent implementations of the Multi-Grid detector by the use of purified aluminium as well as Ni-plating of standard aluminium. The result is the reduction in background by two orders of magnitude. A new large-area prototype has been built incorporating these modifications. (Less)
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
fast neutrons), thermal, Neutron detectors (cold, Materials for, Gaseous detectors, Instrumentation for neutron sources
in
Journal of Instrumentation
volume
10
article number
P10019
publisher
IOP Publishing
external identifiers
  • wos:000367674700021
  • scopus:84947266821
ISSN
1748-0221
DOI
10.1088/1748-0221/10/10/P10019
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
ea00c30f-1528-4b57-bde7-d189050f7d4e (old id 8761568)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 14:01:37
date last changed
2022-03-21 21:54:20
@article{ea00c30f-1528-4b57-bde7-d189050f7d4e,
  abstract     = {{Thermal neutron detector based on films of (B4C)-B-10 have been developed as an alternative to He-3 detectors. In particular, The Multi-Grid detector concept is considered for future large area detectors for ESS and ILL instruments. An excellent signal-to-background ratio is essential to attain expected scientific results. Aluminium is the most natural material for the mechanical structure of of the Multi-Grid detector and other similar concepts due to its mechanical and neutronic properties. Due to natural concentration of alpha emitters, however, the background from alpha particles misidentified as neutrons can be unacceptably high. We present our experience operating a detector prototype affected by this issue. Monte Carlo simulations have been used to confirm the background as alpha particles. The issues have been addressed in the more recent implementations of the Multi-Grid detector by the use of purified aluminium as well as Ni-plating of standard aluminium. The result is the reduction in background by two orders of magnitude. A new large-area prototype has been built incorporating these modifications.}},
  author       = {{Birch, J. and Buffet, J. -C. and Clergeau, J. -F. and van Esch, P. and Ferraton, M. and Guerard, B. and Hall-Wilton, Richard and Hultman, L. and Hoglund, C. and Jensen, J. and Khaplanov, Anton and Piscitelli, F.}},
  issn         = {{1748-0221}},
  keywords     = {{fast neutrons); thermal; Neutron detectors (cold; Materials for; Gaseous detectors; Instrumentation for neutron sources}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{IOP Publishing}},
  series       = {{Journal of Instrumentation}},
  title        = {{Investigation of background in large-area neutron detectors due to alpha emission from impurities in aluminium}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1748-0221/10/10/P10019}},
  doi          = {{10.1088/1748-0221/10/10/P10019}},
  volume       = {{10}},
  year         = {{2015}},
}