Position sensitive detection of neutrons in high radiation background field

0429337 - ÚTAM 2015 RIV US eng J - Journal Article
Vavřík, Daniel - Jakůbek, Jan - Vacík, Jiří - Pospíšil, S.
Position sensitive detection of neutrons in high radiation background field.
Review of Scientific Instruments. Roč. 85, č. 1 (2014), s. 013304. ISSN 0034-6748. E-ISSN 1089-7623
R&D Projects: GA MŠMT(CZ) ED1.1.00/02.0060; GA ČR(CZ) GBP108/12/G108; GA TA ČR(CZ) TA01010237
Institutional support: RVO:68378297 ; RVO:61389005
Keywords : neutrons * pattern recognition * position sensitive detectors * radiation detectors * silicon detectors
Subject RIV: JA - Electronics ; Optoelectronics, Electrical Engineering; BG - Nuclear, Atomic and Molecular Physics, Colliders (UJF-V)
Impact factor: 1.614, year: 2014
http://scitation.aip.org/content/aip/journal/rsi/85/1/10.1063/1.4862478

We present the development of a high-resolution position sensitive device for detection of slow neutrons in the environment of extremely high gamma and e(-) radiation background. We make use of a planar silicon pixelated (pixel size: 55 x 55 mu m(2)) spectroscopic Timepix detector adapted for neutron detection utilizing very thin B-10 converter placed onto detector surface. We demonstrate that electromagnetic radiation background can be discriminated from the neutron signal utilizing the fact that each particle type produces characteristic ionization tracks in the pixelated detector. Particular tracks can be distinguished by their 2D shape (in the detector plane) and spectroscopic response using single event analysis. A Cd sheet served as thermal neutron stopper as well as intensive source of gamma rays and energetic electrons. Highly efficient discrimination was successful even at very low neutron to electromagnetic background ratio about 10(-4).
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0234476