Dual-chamber/dual-anode proportional counter incorporating an intervening thin-foil solid neutron converter

Lynn A. Boatner; John S. Neal; Matthew A. Blackston; James A. Kolopus; Joanne O. Ramey

doi:10.1016/j.nima.2012.07.024

Dual-chamber/dual-anode proportional counter incorporating an intervening thin-foil solid neutron converter

Lynn A. Boatner, John S. Neal, Matthew A. Blackston, James A. Kolopus, Joanne O. Ramey

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

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

A dual-chamber/dual-anode gas proportional counter utilizing thin solid ⁶LiF or ¹⁰B neutron converters coated on a 2-micon-thick Mylar film that is positioned between the two counter chambers and anodes has been designed, fabricated, and tested using a variety of fill gases - including naturally abundant helium. In this device, neutron conversion products emitted from both sides of the coated converter foil are detected - rather than having half of the products absorbed in the wall of a conventional tube-type counter where the solid neutron converter is deposited on the tube wall. Geant4-based radiation transport calculations were used to determine the optimum neutron converter coating thickness for both isotopes. Solution methods for applying these optimized-thickness coatings on a Mylar film were developed that were carried out at room temperature without any specialized equipment and that can be adapted to standard coating methods such as silk screen or ink jet printing. The performance characteristics of the dual-chamber/dual-anode neutron detector were determined for both types of isotopically enriched converters. The experimental performance of the ⁶LiF-converter-based detector was described well by modeling results from Geant4. Additional modeling studies of multiple-foil/multiple-chamber/anode configurations addressed the basic issue of the relatively longer absorption range of neutrons versus the shorter range of the conversion products for ⁶LiF and ¹⁰B. Combined with the experimental results, these simulations indicate that a high-performance neutron detector can be realized in a single device through the application of these multiple-foil/solid converter, multiple-chamber detector concepts.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	244-252
Number of pages	9
Journal	Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Volume	693
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2012.07.024
State	Published - Nov 21 2012

Funding

This research was supported by the NA-22 Nuclear Non-proliferation program of the National Nuclear Security Administration, U.S. Department of Energy . The authors are deeply indebted to Mr. Joe Williams for sharing his in-depth expertise on the construction and operation of proportional counters. Prof. Glenn F. Knoll kindly helped the authors to resolve the issue of giving appropriate credit for the dual-chamber counter design that is illustrated in the 3rd Edition of his canonical reference Radiation Detection and Measurement .

Keywords

Helium three
Neutron detection
Proportional counter

Access to Document

10.1016/j.nima.2012.07.024

Cite this

Boatner, L. A., Neal, J. S., Blackston, M. A., Kolopus, J. A., & Ramey, J. O. (2012). Dual-chamber/dual-anode proportional counter incorporating an intervening thin-foil solid neutron converter. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, 693, 244-252. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2012.07.024

@article{d0b34e4bc1594e50b130878583e426f1,

title = "Dual-chamber/dual-anode proportional counter incorporating an intervening thin-foil solid neutron converter",

abstract = "A dual-chamber/dual-anode gas proportional counter utilizing thin solid 6LiF or 10B neutron converters coated on a 2-micon-thick Mylar film that is positioned between the two counter chambers and anodes has been designed, fabricated, and tested using a variety of fill gases - including naturally abundant helium. In this device, neutron conversion products emitted from both sides of the coated converter foil are detected - rather than having half of the products absorbed in the wall of a conventional tube-type counter where the solid neutron converter is deposited on the tube wall. Geant4-based radiation transport calculations were used to determine the optimum neutron converter coating thickness for both isotopes. Solution methods for applying these optimized-thickness coatings on a Mylar film were developed that were carried out at room temperature without any specialized equipment and that can be adapted to standard coating methods such as silk screen or ink jet printing. The performance characteristics of the dual-chamber/dual-anode neutron detector were determined for both types of isotopically enriched converters. The experimental performance of the 6LiF-converter-based detector was described well by modeling results from Geant4. Additional modeling studies of multiple-foil/multiple-chamber/anode configurations addressed the basic issue of the relatively longer absorption range of neutrons versus the shorter range of the conversion products for 6LiF and 10B. Combined with the experimental results, these simulations indicate that a high-performance neutron detector can be realized in a single device through the application of these multiple-foil/solid converter, multiple-chamber detector concepts.",

keywords = "Helium three, Neutron detection, Proportional counter",

author = "Boatner, {Lynn A.} and Neal, {John S.} and Blackston, {Matthew A.} and Kolopus, {James A.} and Ramey, {Joanne O.}",

year = "2012",

month = nov,

day = "21",

doi = "10.1016/j.nima.2012.07.024",

language = "English",

volume = "693",

pages = "244--252",

journal = "Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment",

issn = "0168-9002",

publisher = "Elsevier",

}

Boatner, LA, Neal, JS, Blackston, MA, Kolopus, JA & Ramey, JO 2012, 'Dual-chamber/dual-anode proportional counter incorporating an intervening thin-foil solid neutron converter', Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, vol. 693, pp. 244-252. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2012.07.024

Dual-chamber/dual-anode proportional counter incorporating an intervening thin-foil solid neutron converter. / Boatner, Lynn A.; Neal, John S.; Blackston, Matthew A. et al.
In: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 693, 21.11.2012, p. 244-252.

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

TY - JOUR

T1 - Dual-chamber/dual-anode proportional counter incorporating an intervening thin-foil solid neutron converter

AU - Boatner, Lynn A.

AU - Neal, John S.

AU - Blackston, Matthew A.

AU - Kolopus, James A.

AU - Ramey, Joanne O.

PY - 2012/11/21

Y1 - 2012/11/21

N2 - A dual-chamber/dual-anode gas proportional counter utilizing thin solid 6LiF or 10B neutron converters coated on a 2-micon-thick Mylar film that is positioned between the two counter chambers and anodes has been designed, fabricated, and tested using a variety of fill gases - including naturally abundant helium. In this device, neutron conversion products emitted from both sides of the coated converter foil are detected - rather than having half of the products absorbed in the wall of a conventional tube-type counter where the solid neutron converter is deposited on the tube wall. Geant4-based radiation transport calculations were used to determine the optimum neutron converter coating thickness for both isotopes. Solution methods for applying these optimized-thickness coatings on a Mylar film were developed that were carried out at room temperature without any specialized equipment and that can be adapted to standard coating methods such as silk screen or ink jet printing. The performance characteristics of the dual-chamber/dual-anode neutron detector were determined for both types of isotopically enriched converters. The experimental performance of the 6LiF-converter-based detector was described well by modeling results from Geant4. Additional modeling studies of multiple-foil/multiple-chamber/anode configurations addressed the basic issue of the relatively longer absorption range of neutrons versus the shorter range of the conversion products for 6LiF and 10B. Combined with the experimental results, these simulations indicate that a high-performance neutron detector can be realized in a single device through the application of these multiple-foil/solid converter, multiple-chamber detector concepts.

AB - A dual-chamber/dual-anode gas proportional counter utilizing thin solid 6LiF or 10B neutron converters coated on a 2-micon-thick Mylar film that is positioned between the two counter chambers and anodes has been designed, fabricated, and tested using a variety of fill gases - including naturally abundant helium. In this device, neutron conversion products emitted from both sides of the coated converter foil are detected - rather than having half of the products absorbed in the wall of a conventional tube-type counter where the solid neutron converter is deposited on the tube wall. Geant4-based radiation transport calculations were used to determine the optimum neutron converter coating thickness for both isotopes. Solution methods for applying these optimized-thickness coatings on a Mylar film were developed that were carried out at room temperature without any specialized equipment and that can be adapted to standard coating methods such as silk screen or ink jet printing. The performance characteristics of the dual-chamber/dual-anode neutron detector were determined for both types of isotopically enriched converters. The experimental performance of the 6LiF-converter-based detector was described well by modeling results from Geant4. Additional modeling studies of multiple-foil/multiple-chamber/anode configurations addressed the basic issue of the relatively longer absorption range of neutrons versus the shorter range of the conversion products for 6LiF and 10B. Combined with the experimental results, these simulations indicate that a high-performance neutron detector can be realized in a single device through the application of these multiple-foil/solid converter, multiple-chamber detector concepts.

KW - Helium three

KW - Neutron detection

KW - Proportional counter

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84865287217&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.nima.2012.07.024

DO - 10.1016/j.nima.2012.07.024

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84865287217

SN - 0168-9002

VL - 693

SP - 244

EP - 252

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

ER -

Dual-chamber/dual-anode proportional counter incorporating an intervening thin-foil solid neutron converter

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this