Feasibility of using boron-loaded plastic fibers for neutron detection

R. F. Grazioso, A. S. Heger, N. Ensslin, D. R. Mayo, D. J. Mercer, M. C. Miller, P. A. Russo

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

5 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The results from simulations and laboratory experiments with boron-loaded plastic scintillating fibers as a nondestructive assay (NDA) tool are presented. Single and multi-clad fibers in three diameters of 0.25, 0.5, and 1 mm were examined for their application in neutron coincidence counting. For this application, the simulation results show that various configurations of boron-loaded plastic scintillating fibers have a die-away time (τ) of 12 μs with an efficiency (ε) of 50%. For a comparable efficiency, 3He proportional tubes have a typical die-away time of 50 μs. The shortened die-away time can reduce the relative error for measurement of similar samples by up to 50%. Plastic scintillating fibers (PSF) also offer flexible configurations with the potential to discriminate between signals from gamma-ray and neutron events. Quantitative calculations and experiments have been conducted to determine the light output, evaluate the noise, quantify light attenuation, and determine neutron detection efficiency. Current experimental data support the analytical results that boron-loaded plastic fibers can detect thermal neutrons.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)59-63
Number of pages5
JournalNuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Volume422
Issue number1-3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Dec 1999
Externally publishedYes

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