DOE OSTI2011
We have developed and tested a new type detector for use in the fast neutron (FN) imaging radiography applications. FN radiography is generally used for nondestructive material testing, medical and biology applications, border patrol, transportation and cargo screening tasks. It is complementary to other types of radiography, providing additional information on light element content of the material samples. Distinct from other FN imagers presently known, our device implements a neutron-sensitive scintillator attached to a position-sensitive photomultiplier tube (PSPMT), and operates in an event-by-event readout mode, acquiring energy, timing, and pulse shape information for all detected radiation events. The information is used to help separate events of FN interactions in the scintillator from the background events caused by the electronics noise and by the other types of background radiation. Selection of pure fast neutron events in the final image allows us to achieve ultimate image contrast and resolution, as compared with other types of FN imaging devices operating most commonly in an integration mode, in which the detector?s dark noise and radiation background dilute the images. The detector performance for FN imaging application was tested using D-D neutron generator, designed and manufactured by Adelphi Technology, Inc. This essentially point-like neutron source operates in continuous mode producing up to 109 of 2.5 MeV neutrons per second. Samples made of metals plastic and other material were used to measure the detector resolution, efficiency and uniformity. Results of these tests are presented and discussed. Fig. 1 shows one of the test FN radiographic images obtained using the sample made of 11 styrene plastic strips. All strips are squares 4.8 x 4.8 mm2 with six different lengths 10 to 60 mm with 10 mm increment. [A] [B] [C] Fig. 1. [A]-layout of the test sample; [B]-raw FN shadow image of the sample; [C]-map of the plastic strips as they appear on the image, with measured FN absorption factor shown in percent. Both X and Y position resolution of the FN imaging detector are estimated to be less than 0.5 mm (sigma) based on the analysis of the edges of the strip shadows in the plot. Because this detector shows the fraction-of-a-millimeter resolution desirable for most of FN applications, and is built using radiation hard materials, we believe it could be a good alternative to other FN imaging systems based on CCD or solid state detectors. In addition, having a sub-nanosecond timing resolution, it is suitable for the time-of-flight energy-resolved FN imaging.