APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR NEUTRON DETECTION BY CAPTURE-GAMMA CALORIMETRY

• Main Authors: STEIN, JUERGEN, PAUSCH, GUNTRAM, HERBACH, CLAUS, MICHAEL
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 06.06.2012
• Subjects: MEASUREMENT OF NUCLEAR OR X-RADIATION; MEASURING; PHYSICS; TESTING

An apparatus for detecting neutron radiation includes a first section with a high neutron absorption capability and a second section with a low neutron absorption capability. The second section includes a gamma ray scintillator having an inorganic material with an attenuation length of less than 10 cm for gamma rays of 5 MeV energy. The material of the first section releases the energy deployed in the first section by neutron capture mainly via gamma radiation. A substantial portion of the first section is covered by the second section. An evaluation device determines the amount of light detected by a light detector for one scintillation event, and the amount is in a known relation to the energy deployed by gamma radiation in the second section. The evaluation device classifies detected radiation as neutrons when the measured total gamma energy Esum is above 2,614 MeV.