Directional thermal neutron detector

Details Directional thermal neutron detector Directional thermal neutron detector

1995-03-08

1997-08-19

Fields, Carolyn E.

Radiant energy

Invisible radiant energy responsive electric signalling

Neutron responsive means

25037005, 2503701, G01T 308

Patent

active

056591772

ABSTRACT:
A directional thermal neutron detector for detecting thermal neutrons and determining the direction of the thermal neutron source. The directional detector includes an array of individual thermal neutron detector modules, each of which comprises front and back planar silicon detectors having a gadolinium foil sandwiched therebetween. The array comprises a plurality of individual detector modules which are angularly displaced with respect to each other. The direction of the thermal neutron source is determined by comparing the magnitudes of the output signals from the plurality of angularly displaced detector modules. Each thermal neutron detector module is segmented into four quadrants to reduce its capacitance and resultant noise. The thickness of the gadolinium foil in each thermal neutron detector module is at least 15 microns thick, to improve the front-to-back silicon detector counting ratio to ascertain the side (front or back) from which thermal neutrons are arriving at the detector. Moreover, the thick gadolinium foil makes each detector module substantially opaque to thermal neutrons, and the detector modules are positioned relative to each other in the array to shield one another from thermal neutrons, thereby enhancing the angular resolution of the directional thermal neutron detector. Gamma rays are discriminated against by using coincidence signal processing within the elements of the detector sandwich to reduce the gamma ray contribution to the total signal.

REFERENCES:
patent: 3581091 (1971-05-01), Meijer
patent: 5036202 (1991-07-01), Schulte

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