The European Spallation Source ERIC (ESS), currently under construction in Lund, Sweden is a facility established to deliver the highest integrated neutron flux originating from a pulsed source with ...the aim of supporting an initial fifteen neutron instruments for cutting edge science experiments. This in turn requires reliable monitoring at complex neutron beam lines: in particular, linearity, timing capability, adaptability of the design for various flux ranges (dynamic range) and sensitivity to neutrons within the range of 0.6-10Å are expected from the neutron beam monitors to be installed at the ESS beam lines. Additionally, operational stability and low attenuation are also desirable characteristics for such neutron beam monitoring. A prototype neutron beam monitor based on the ionisation chamber principle and a boron converter, designed by CDT CASCADE Detector Technologies GmbH and ESS, has been investigated at the BER-II research reactor of Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin (HZB). The effort to design and investigate a thermal neutron ionisation beam monitor was initiated by adapting the concept of ionisation chambers previously known elsewhere. So far all the characterised neutron beam monitors discriminate neutron hits on a discrete event basis (pulse mode), whereas the beam monitor prototype introduced in this paper estimates the total flux as a function of current (current mode). While most other neutron beam monitoring devices and detectors rely upon a signal amplifying gain stage, the ionisation chamber operates without any gain and is consequently robust against typical detector ageing effects that compromise the sensitivity over time. The initial tests were performed at the ESS V20 test beam line under realistic conditions resembling those of the future pulses of ESS. The linearity is demonstrated for 3Å pulses in the flux range of 2-3 × 10
5
n/s/cm
2
and for white pulses (0.6-10Å) in the range of 1-5 × 10
6
n/s/cm
2
. The timing behaviour resembles the data previously recorded at the V20 beam lines. This novel implementation of a neutron sensitive ionisation chamber shows great promise for beam monitoring and diagnostics at ESS. As the ionisation beam monitor itself is an entirely passive device, it is adequately robust to be employed in areas of high irradiation where no regular servicing or maintenance can be provided.
Monte Carlo simulations using MCNP6.1 were performed to study the effect of neutron activation in Ar/CO2 neutron detector counting gas. A general MCNP model was built and validated with simple ...analytical calculations. Simulations and calculations agree that only the 40Ar activation can have a considerable effect. It was shown that neither the prompt gamma intensity from the 40Ar neutron capture nor the produced 41Ar activity have an impact in terms of gamma dose rate around the detector and background level.
•Effect of neutron activation on argon based detector counting gas studied.•Dataset collected for neutron activation and prompt gamma production MCNP simulation.•Generally applicable activity and prompt photon emission data is given.•The activity emission from the studied continuous flow detectors is negligible.•The increase of background from neutron induced gamma radiation is negligible.
We present a survey of the radiation background at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, TN, USA during routine daily operation. A broad range of detectors was used to ...characterize primarily the neutron and photon fields throughout the facility. These include a WENDI-2 extended range dosimeter, a thermoscientific NRD, an Arktis 4He detector, and a standard NaI photon detector. The information gathered from the detectors was used to map out the neutron dose rates throughout the facility and also the neutron dose rate and flux profiles of several different beamlines. The survey provides detailed information useful for developing future shielding concepts at spallation neutron sources, such as the European Spallation Source (ESS), currently under construction in Lund, Sweden.
The response of a NE-213 liquid-scintillator detector has been measured using tagged neutrons from 2 to 6 MeV originating from an Am/Be neutron source. The neutron energies were determined using the ...time-of-flight technique. Pulse-shape discrimination was employed to discern between gamma-rays and neutrons. The behavior of both the fast (35 ns) and the combined fast and slow (475 ns) components of the neutron scintillation-light pulses were studied. Three different prescriptions were used to relate the neutron maximum energy-transfer edges to the corresponding recoil-proton scintillation-light yields, and the results were compared to simulations. The overall normalizations of parametrizations which predict the fast or total light yield of the scintillation pulses were also tested. Our results agree with both existing data and existing parametrizations. We observe a clear sensitivity to the portion and length of the neutron scintillation-light pulse considered.
Boron–carbon (B x C) thin films are potential neutron converting layers for 10B-based neutron detectors. However, as common material choices for such detectors do not tolerate temperatures above 500 ...°C, a low temperature deposition route is required. Here, we study trimethylboron B(CH3)3 (TMB) as a single-source precursor for the deposition of B x C thin films by plasma CVD using Ar plasma. The effect of plasma power, TMB/Ar flow ratio and total pressure, on the film composition, morphology, chemical bonding, and microstructures are investigated. Dense and boron-rich films (B/C = 1.9) are achieved at high TMB flow under a low total pressure and high plasma power, which rendered an approximate substrate temperature of ∼300 °C. Films mainly contain B–C bonds with the presence of B–O and C–C, which is attributed to be the origin of formed amorphous carbon in the films. The high H content (15 ± 5 at. %) is almost independent of deposition parameters and contributed to lower the film density (2.16 g/cm3). The plasma compositional analysis shows that the TMB molecule decomposes to mainly atomic H, C2, BH, and CH. A plasma chemical model for the decomposition of TMB with BH and CH as the plausible film depositing species in the plasma is proposed.
The so-called '3He-crisis' has motivated the neutron detector community to undertake an intense R&D programme in order to develop technologies alternative to standard 3He tubes and suitable for ...neutron detection systems in future spallation sources such as the European spallation source (ESS). Boron-based GEM (gas electron multiplier) detectors are a promising '3He-free' technology for thermal neutron detection in neutron scattering experiments. In this paper the evolution of boron-based GEM detectors from planar to 3D converters with an application in diffraction measurements is presented. The use of 3D converters coupled with GEMs allows for an optimization of the detector performances. Three different detectors were used for diffraction measurements on the INES instrument at the ISIS spallation source. The performances of the GEM-detectors are compared with those of conventional 3He tubes installed on the INES instrument. The conceptual detector with the 3D converter used in this paper reached a count rate per unit area of about 25% relative to the currently installed 3He tube. Its timing resolution is similar and the signal-to-background ratio (S/B) is 2 times lower.
Very intense neutrino beams and large neutrino detectors will be needed in order to enable the discovery of CP violation in the leptonic sector. We propose to use the proton linac of the European ...Spallation Source currently under construction in Lund, Sweden, to deliver, in parallel with the spallation neutron production, a very intense, cost effective and high performance neutrino beam. The baseline program for the European Spallation Source linac is that it will be fully operational at 5 MW average power by 2022, producing 2 GeV 2.86 ms long proton pulses at a rate of 14 Hz. Our proposal is to upgrade the linac to 10 MW average power and 28 Hz, producing 14 pulses/s for neutron production and 14 pulses/s for neutrino production. Furthermore, because of the high current required in the pulsed neutrino horn, the length of the pulses used for neutrino production needs to be compressed to a few μs with the aid of an accumulator ring. A long baseline experiment using this Super Beam and a megaton underground Water Cherenkov detector located in existing mines 300–600 km from Lund will make it possible to discover leptonic CP violation at 5 σ significance level in up to 50% of the leptonic Dirac CP-violating phase range. This experiment could also determine the neutrino mass hierarchy at a significance level of more than 3 σ if this issue will not already have been settled by other experiments by then. The mass hierarchy performance could be increased by combining the neutrino beam results with those obtained from atmospheric neutrinos detected by the same large volume detector. This detector will also be used to measure the proton lifetime, detect cosmological neutrinos and neutrinos from supernova explosions. Results on the sensitivity to leptonic CP violation and the neutrino mass hierarchy are presented.
Scattered neutron background in thermal neutron detectors Dian, E.; Kanaki, K.; Ehlers, G. ...
Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment,
09/2018, Letnik:
902
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Inelastic neutron scattering instruments require very low background; therefore the proper shielding for suppressing the scattered neutron background, both from elastic and inelastic scattering is ...essential. The detailed understanding of the background scattering sources is required for effective suppression. The Multi-Grid thermal neutron detector is an Ar/CO2 gas filled detector with a 10B4C neutron converter coated on aluminium substrates. It is a large-area detector design that will equip inelastic neutron spectrometers at the European Spallation Source (ESS). To this end a parameterised Geant4 model is built for the Multi-Grid detector. This is the first time thermal neutron scattering background sources have been modelled in a detailed simulation of detector response. The model is validated via comparison with measured data of prototypes installed on the IN6 instrument at ILL and on the CNCS instrument at SNS. The effect of scattering originating in detector components is smaller than effects originating elsewhere.
The VMM3a is an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), specifically developed for the readout of gaseous detectors. Originally developed within the ATLAS New Small Wheel (NSW) upgrade, it ...has been successfully integrated into the Scalable Readout System (SRS) of the RD51 collaboration. This allows, to use the VMM3a also in small laboratory set-ups and mid-scale experiments, which make use of Micro-Pattern Gaseous Detectors (MPGDs). As part of the integration of the VMM3a into the SRS, the readout and data transfer scheme was optimised to reach a high rate-capability of the entire readout system and profit from the VMM3a’s high single-channel rate-capability of 3.6Mhits/s. The optimisation focused mainly on the handling of the data output stream of the VMM3a, but also on the development of a trigger-logic between the front-end cards and the DAQ computer. In this article, two firmware implementations of the non-ATLAS continuous readout mode are presented, as well as the implementation of the trigger-logic. Afterwards, a short overview on X-ray imaging results is presented, to illustrate the high rate-capability from an application point-of-view.
An alternative small angle neutron scattering detector Kanaki, Kalliopi; Birch, Jens; Hall-Wilton, Richard John ...
2013 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium and Medical Imaging Conference (2013 NSS/MIC),
01/2013
Conference Proceeding
An alternative detector design for Small Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS) applications is currently under development at the European Spallation Source (ESS). Given the unavailability and high price ...of 3 He, this detector design utilizes gaseous detectors with 10 B as neutron converter and is ideally suited for a SANS instrument at the ESS. The novel aspects of the geometry, exploiting the properties of the converting material, in combination with the performance of the detector are addressed by means of analytical calculations, as well as detailed Monte Carlo simulations using a customized version of Geant4. Last but not least, the progress on the conceptual prototype design is presented.
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