Low Voltage He3-Filled Proportional Counter for Efficient Detection of Thermal and Epithermal Neutrons

Mills, William R.; Caldwell, Richard L.; Morgan, I.L.

doi:10.1063/1.1717994

Cited by 32 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…The highly efficient 3 He counter, widely available in the past, was an obvious choice for detecting neutrons [2,3]. It was typically deployed in conjunction with a large active mass of liquid scintillator (LS), enclosed in large containers, that provided the νe target.…”

Section: Reactor νE Detectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A novel segmented-scintillator antineutrino detector

et al. 2017

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The next generation of very-short-baseline reactor experiments will require compact detectors operating at surface level and close to a nuclear reactor. This paper presents a new detector concept based on a composite solid scintillator technology. The detector target uses cubes of polyvinyltoluene interleaved with 6 LiF:ZnS(Ag) phosphor screens to detect the products of the inverse beta decay reaction. A multi-tonne detector system built from these individual cells can provide precise localisation of scintillation signals, making efficient use of the detector volume. Monte Carlo simulations indicate that a neutron capture efficiency of over 70 % is achievable with a sufficient number of 6 LiF:ZnS(Ag) screens per cube and that an appropriate segmentation enables a measurement of the positron energy which is not limited by γ-ray leakage. First measurements of a single cell indicate that a very good neutron-gamma discrimination and high neutron detection efficiency can be obtained with adequate triggering techniques. The light yield from positron signals has been measured, showing that an energy resolution of 14%/ E(MeV) is achievable with high uniformity. A preliminary neutrino signal analysis has been developed, using selection 1 on leave from CEADEN, Havana, Cuba criteria for pulse shape, energy, time structure and energy spatial distribution and showing that an antineutrino efficiency of 40% can be achieved. It also shows that the fine segmentation of the detector can be used to significantly decrease both correlated and accidental backgrounds.Keywords: antineutrino, sterile neutrino, 6 LiF:ZnSThe re-evaluation of reactorν e flux calculations that led to the so-called reactor anomaly [15,16,17] and the recent evidence for a deviation in theν e energy spectrum shape, observed by three short baseline experiments (∼ 1-2 km) [18,19,20], has put our understanding of the reactor flux model into question. New measurements at reactors, at closer distances than ever before, are needed to test possible explanations. The use of a highly segmented detector target to probe small

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Section: Reactor νE Detectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A novel segmented-scintillator antineutrino detector

et al. 2017

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“…The He a (n, p) T cross section is 5500 barns at v = 2200 m/sec. Even more attractive, however, is the fact that proportional counters filled with helium and a quenching gas can be operated at high pressures (~10 atm) at reasonable potentials [Mills et al, 1962]. Efficiencies of the order of 70% are readily achieved, and this counter can also be used for spectrometry at energies up to 1 Mev or so.…”

Section: Apparatus and Techniquesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Terrestrial and solar neutrons

Haymes¹

1965

Reviews of Geophysics

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The study of neutrons in the solar system is reviewed, and the theories and experiments that relate to this study are described. Neutron capture in the atmosphere produces among other isotopes carbon 14 and tritium. The earth's neutron albedo is also a source of Van Allen radiation. The importance of the source is, however, in doubt; therefore, some studies of geomagnetically trapped charged radiation are also reviewed to emphasize the areas of greatest uncertainty in the theory of injection by the neutron albedo. There are conflicting data on the absolute value of the albedo itself, although there is now better agreement on neutron fluxes within the atmosphere. Hence a critical review of the techniques employed in neutron experiments is undertaken, and some possible ways of resolving some of the difficulties are suggested. The search for solar neutrons is also described, and some possible solar‐neutron experiments are suggested. In the study of both Van Allen and solar problems, high‐energy neutrons are most interesting, and yet this energy region is the least explored.

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“…3 He has the advantages of a large thermal neutron capture cross section, easily detected charged reaction products, and low gamma-ray sensitivity. Although the basic properties of 3 He proportional counters have been known for decades [1], more recent applications in counting low rates of neutrons has spurred work in better understanding their backgrounds. Methods for improving background rejection in the counters [2,3] can be a significant benefit for those experiments or applications where the neutron signal-to-background ratio is particularly poor.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Event identification in 3He proportional counters using risetime discrimination

Langford

Bass

Beise

et al. 2013

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A:

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We present a straightforward method for particle identification and background rejection in 3 He proportional counters for use in neutron detection. By measuring the risetime and pulse height of the preamplifier signals, one may define a region in the risetime versus pulse height space where the events are predominately from neutron interactions. For six proportional counters surveyed in a low-background environment, we demonstrate the ability to reject alpha-particle events with an efficiency of 99%. By applying the same method, we also show an effective rejection of microdischarge noise events that, when passed through a shaping amplifier, are indistinguishable from physical events in the counters. The primary application of this method is in measurements where the signal-to-background for counting neutrons is very low, such as in underground laboratories.

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Low Voltage He3-Filled Proportional Counter for Efficient Detection of Thermal and Epithermal Neutrons

Cited by 32 publications

References 4 publications

A novel segmented-scintillator antineutrino detector

A novel segmented-scintillator antineutrino detector

Terrestrial and solar neutrons

Event identification in 3He proportional counters using risetime discrimination

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