Spatially resolved time-of-flight neutron imaging using a scintillator CMOS-camera detector with kHz time resolution

• Published in: Optics express Vol. 27; no. 18; pp. 26218 - 26228
• Main Authors: Woracek, Robin, Krzyzagorski, Mark, Markötter, Henning, Kadletz, Peter M, Kardjilov, Nikolay, Manke, Ingo, Hilger, André
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 02.09.2019
• ISSN: 1094-4087; 1094-4087
• DOI: 10.1364/OE.27.026218

We herein report on using a compact and low cost scintillator-camera based neutron detection system for quantitative time-of-flight imaging applications. While powerful pulsed neutron sources emerge and enable unprecedented scientific achievements, one bottleneck is the availability of suitable detectors that provide high count- and high frame- rate capabilities. For imaging applications the achievable spatial resolution/pixel size is obviously another key characteristic. While major effort was so far directed towards the development of neutron counting type imaging detectors, this work demonstrates that a camera based detector system as commonly employed at steady state sources can also be used if a suitable camera is utilized. This is demonstrated at the ESS test beamline (V20) at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin by recording the time-of-flight transmission spectrum of steel samples using a CMOS camera at 1 kHz frame rate, revealing the characteristic Bragg edge pattern. This 'simple' setup in the current state presents a useful option of neutron detection and has the potential to overcome many of the existing limitations and could provide a reliable alternative for neutron detector technology in general, given that the camera and scintillator technology keep up the current development speed.