A HIGH RESOLUTION SCINTILATOR-BASED NEUTRON DETECTOR

A NOVEL TECHNOLOGY FOR A SCINTILLATOR-BASED NEUTRON CONVERTER PLATE WHICH WILL HAVE HIGH THERMAL NEUTRON DETECTION EFFICIENCY ( 90%) AND INHERENTLY HIGH SPATIAL RESOLUTION IS PLANNED. THE NEUTRON CONVERTER PLATE WILL BE MADE USING SCINTILLATING PLASTIC MICRO-FIBERS WITH ENRICHED LITHIUM ((6)LI) INCORPORATION. THIS NEUTRON CONVERTER OVERCOMES THE FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH SCREEN PHOSPHORS AND WILL BE A SUPERIOR ALTERNATIVE. THE DETECTOR CAN BE USED EITHER FOR A TIME-INTEGRATING IMAGING MODE OR FOR A CONVENTIONAL TIME-RESOLVED POSITION SENSITIVE DETECTOR MODE. PHASE I WILL DEVELOP AND TEST THE NOVEL NEUTRON CONVERTER PLATE. MEASUREMENTS WILL INCLUDE NEUTRON DETECTION EFFICIENCY, SCINTILLATION EFFICIENCY, ABSORPTION/EMISSION SPECTRUM, AND DECAY TIME OF THE SCINTILLATOR. THE RESULTS OF PHASE I WILL DEMONSTRATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE CONVERTER PLAT COMPARED WITH THOSE OBTAINED FROM STANDARD SCREEN PHOSPHORS. IN PHASE II, A COMPLETE REAL-TIME THERMAL NEUTRON IMAGING SYSTEM USING THE NEUTRON CONVERTER WILL BE BUILT AND APPLIED TO VARIOUS THERMAL NEUTRON IMAGING APPLICATIONS.