Characterization of stilbene-d12 for neutron spectroscopy without time of flight

N. Gaughan; J. Zhou; F. D. Becchetti; R. O. Torres-Isea; M. Febbraro; N. Zaitseva; Y. Altmann; A. Di Fulvio

doi:10.1016/j.nima.2021.165822

Characterization of stilbene-d₁₂ for neutron spectroscopy without time of flight

N. Gaughan, J. Zhou, F. D. Becchetti, R. O. Torres-Isea, M. Febbraro, N. Zaitseva, Y. Altmann, A. Di Fulvio

Nuclear Structure and Nuclear Astrophysi

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

10 Scopus citations

Abstract

We have experimentally characterized the light-output response of a deuterated trans-stilbene (stilbene-d₁₂) crystal to quasi-monoenergetic neutrons in the 0.8 to 4.4 MeV energy range. These data allowed us to perform neutron spectroscopy measurements of a DT 14.1 MeV source and a ²³⁹PuBe source by unfolding the impinging neutron spectrum from the measured light-output response. The stilbene-d₁₂ outperforms a ¹H−stilbene of similar size when comparing the shape of the unfolded spectra and the reference ones. These results confirm the viability of non-hygroscopic stilbene-d₁₂ crystal for direct neutron spectroscopy without need for time-of-flight measurements. This capability makes stilbene-d₁₂ a well suited detector for fast-neutron spectroscopy in many applications including nuclear reaction studies, radiation protection, nuclear non-proliferation, and space travel.

Original language	English
Article number	165822
Journal	Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Volume	1018
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2021.165822
State	Published - Dec 1 2021

Funding

This work was funded in part by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), United States Faculty Development Grant 31310019M0011 , and NRC, United States fellowship grants NRC-HQ841560020 and NRC-31310018M0029 . Crystal growth at LLNL was supported by the DOE, United States /NA-22 office. This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy , Office of Science, Office of Nuclear Physics, under Award Number DE-AC05-00OR22725 .

Keywords

Deuterated scintillators
Neutron spectroscopy
Scintillation detector
Spectral unfolding

Access to Document

10.1016/j.nima.2021.165822

Cite this

Gaughan, N., Zhou, J., Becchetti, F. D., Torres-Isea, R. O., Febbraro, M., Zaitseva, N., Altmann, Y., & Di Fulvio, A. (2021). Characterization of stilbene-d₁₂ for neutron spectroscopy without time of flight. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, 1018, Article 165822. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2021.165822

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abstract = "We have experimentally characterized the light-output response of a deuterated trans-stilbene (stilbene-d12) crystal to quasi-monoenergetic neutrons in the 0.8 to 4.4 MeV energy range. These data allowed us to perform neutron spectroscopy measurements of a DT 14.1 MeV source and a 239PuBe source by unfolding the impinging neutron spectrum from the measured light-output response. The stilbene-d12 outperforms a 1H−stilbene of similar size when comparing the shape of the unfolded spectra and the reference ones. These results confirm the viability of non-hygroscopic stilbene-d12 crystal for direct neutron spectroscopy without need for time-of-flight measurements. This capability makes stilbene-d12 a well suited detector for fast-neutron spectroscopy in many applications including nuclear reaction studies, radiation protection, nuclear non-proliferation, and space travel.",

keywords = "Deuterated scintillators, Neutron spectroscopy, Scintillation detector, Spectral unfolding",

author = "N. Gaughan and J. Zhou and Becchetti, {F. D.} and Torres-Isea, {R. O.} and M. Febbraro and N. Zaitseva and Y. Altmann and {Di Fulvio}, A.",

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Gaughan, N, Zhou, J, Becchetti, FD, Torres-Isea, RO, Febbraro, M, Zaitseva, N, Altmann, Y & Di Fulvio, A 2021, 'Characterization of stilbene-d₁₂ for neutron spectroscopy without time of flight', Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, vol. 1018, 165822. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2021.165822

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AU - Gaughan, N.

AU - Zhou, J.

AU - Becchetti, F. D.

AU - Torres-Isea, R. O.

AU - Febbraro, M.

AU - Zaitseva, N.

AU - Altmann, Y.

AU - Di Fulvio, A.

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N2 - We have experimentally characterized the light-output response of a deuterated trans-stilbene (stilbene-d12) crystal to quasi-monoenergetic neutrons in the 0.8 to 4.4 MeV energy range. These data allowed us to perform neutron spectroscopy measurements of a DT 14.1 MeV source and a 239PuBe source by unfolding the impinging neutron spectrum from the measured light-output response. The stilbene-d12 outperforms a 1H−stilbene of similar size when comparing the shape of the unfolded spectra and the reference ones. These results confirm the viability of non-hygroscopic stilbene-d12 crystal for direct neutron spectroscopy without need for time-of-flight measurements. This capability makes stilbene-d12 a well suited detector for fast-neutron spectroscopy in many applications including nuclear reaction studies, radiation protection, nuclear non-proliferation, and space travel.

AB - We have experimentally characterized the light-output response of a deuterated trans-stilbene (stilbene-d12) crystal to quasi-monoenergetic neutrons in the 0.8 to 4.4 MeV energy range. These data allowed us to perform neutron spectroscopy measurements of a DT 14.1 MeV source and a 239PuBe source by unfolding the impinging neutron spectrum from the measured light-output response. The stilbene-d12 outperforms a 1H−stilbene of similar size when comparing the shape of the unfolded spectra and the reference ones. These results confirm the viability of non-hygroscopic stilbene-d12 crystal for direct neutron spectroscopy without need for time-of-flight measurements. This capability makes stilbene-d12 a well suited detector for fast-neutron spectroscopy in many applications including nuclear reaction studies, radiation protection, nuclear non-proliferation, and space travel.

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