IMPROVED DIRECT NEUTRON SENSOR

THE DETECTION OF NEUTRONS NORMALLY IS A PROBLEM BECAUSE OF THEIR LACK OF CHARGE AND THEREFORE WEAK INTERACTION WITH MATTER. NEUTRON INDUCEDCONDUCTIVITY CHANGES OFFER THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A DIRECT MEANS OF MEASURING NEUTRON FLUENCES. DEVELOPMENT OF ORGANIC POLYMER-BASED FAST AND THERMAL NEUTRON IS BEING INVESTIGATED AND IS ANTICIPATED TO BE CAPABLE OF DIRECTLY MEASURING NEUTRON FLUENCES OVER A WIDE RANGE OF NEUTRON FLUXES. NEUTRON ENERGY SENSITIVITY OF SEVERALORGANIC POLYMERS IS BEING EXAMINED BY PERFORMING NEUTRON IRRADIATION WITH SEVERAL FILM THICKNESSES DESIGNED TO MATCH THE RANGE OF PROTON REACTION PRODUCTS WITH PARTICULAR RECOIL ENERGIES. THERMAL NEUTRON SENSITIVITY STUDIES ARE BEING PERFORMED BY DOPING SELECTED POLYMER FILMS WITH LARGE CROSS-SECTION THERMAL NEUTRON ABSORBERS. SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THIS EFFORT WOULD LEAD TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NOVEL CALSS OF NEUTRON DETECTORS THAT WOULD PROVIDE A DIRECT MEASURE OF NEUTRON FLUXES. THE FILM COULD BE USED TO MAKE DIRECTIONAL, POSITION SENSITIVE AND ISOTROPIC NEUTRON SENSORS AND ALSO COULD BE USED TO MAKEPERSONAL DIRECT READING NEUTRON DOSIMETERS AND VERY LARGE AREA NEUTRON DETECTORS.