TY - JOUR
T1 - Comparative neutron detection efficiency in He-3 proportional counters and liquid scintillators
AU - Pozzi, S. A.
AU - Clarke, S. D.
AU - Paff, M.
AU - Di Fulvio, A.
AU - Kouzes, R. T.
PY - 2019/6/11
Y1 - 2019/6/11
N2 - We present new results on the neutron detection efficiency of detection systems based on He-3 proportional counters compared to organic liquid scintillators. The experiments were conducted using a well-characterized Cf-252 neutron source, measured bare, and shielded with slabs of polyethylene. The results show that the intrinsic neutron detection efficiency for the bare source is approximately 25% for the He-3 system, and 67% for the liquid scintillator system. When polyethylene sheets were used to shield the source in 2.54 cm increments, the neutron detection efficiency of both systems decreased exponentially to approximately 10% for the case of 25.4 cm. Experimental results were simulated using MCNPX-PoliMi and good agreement was found between measurement and simulation results for all the cases considered here.
AB - We present new results on the neutron detection efficiency of detection systems based on He-3 proportional counters compared to organic liquid scintillators. The experiments were conducted using a well-characterized Cf-252 neutron source, measured bare, and shielded with slabs of polyethylene. The results show that the intrinsic neutron detection efficiency for the bare source is approximately 25% for the He-3 system, and 67% for the liquid scintillator system. When polyethylene sheets were used to shield the source in 2.54 cm increments, the neutron detection efficiency of both systems decreased exponentially to approximately 10% for the case of 25.4 cm. Experimental results were simulated using MCNPX-PoliMi and good agreement was found between measurement and simulation results for all the cases considered here.
KW - Detector characterization
KW - Efficiency
KW - He-3
KW - Neutron detection
KW - Organic scintillator
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U2 - 10.1016/j.nima.2019.03.027
DO - 10.1016/j.nima.2019.03.027
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85063400081
VL - 929
SP - 107
EP - 112
JO - Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
JF - Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
SN - 0168-9002
ER -