Abstract
Composite neutron scintillators consisting of neutron-insensitive fluorescent dopant particles (e.g. ZnS:Ag) embedded in a matrix material containing isotopes with high neutron cross sections that emit energetic charged particles (e.g. 6Li) are a popular method for neutron detection in a variety of applications. The size and volume doping fraction of the fluorescent dopant particles and the densities of both dopant particles and the matrix material determine the characteristics of the pulse-height spectrum of emitted light and the probability that capture of a neutron will result in scintillation. In this work, we characterise the effects of these parameters for ZnS:Ag particles in a lithiated glass matrix using a Monte Carlo simulation of composite neutron detectors that we have constructed.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 165-169 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Radiation Protection Dosimetry |
| Volume | 116 |
| Issue number | 1-4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Dec 20 2005 |
Funding
The authors wish to thank Dr James F. Ziegler of the United States Naval Academy for making modifications to the TRIM heavy charged particle transport code that enabled us to perform most of our calculations. A.C.S. and S.A.W. were supported by a Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Grant from the US Department of Energy (DOE) under Contract DE-FG02-01ER83224. S.D. was supported by a CRADA sub-contract with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) within the SBIR grant. ORNL is managed for the DOE under contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725 by UT-Battelle, LLC. Funding of this work by the DOE under the SBIR grant does not constitute an endorsement by the DOE.
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| US Department of Energy | |
| U.S. Department of Energy | DE-FG02-01ER83224 |
| Oak Ridge National Laboratory | |
| Small Business Innovative Research and Small Business Technology Transfer |