Neutron detection alternatives to 3He for national security applications

Kouzes, Richard T.; Ely, James H.; Erikson, L.; Kernan, Warnick J.; Lintereur, Azaree T.; Siciliano, Edward R.; Stephens, Daniel L.; Stromswold, D.C.; Ginhoven, Renée M. Van; Woodring, Mitchell L.

doi:10.1016/j.nima.2010.08.021

Cited by 260 publications

(152 citation statements)

References 18 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

147

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…The recent intense and focused search for alternatives to 3 He-based detectors has shown that detectors based on the boron isotope 10 B are feasible alternatives [1,2] both in their performance and economically [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]. 10 B has a relatively high neutron absorption cross section compared to 3 He, and by optimizing the design of the detector, a detection efficiency comparable to 3 He has been presented [3,11].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Low-temperature growth of boron carbide coatings by direct current magnetron sputtering and high-power impulse magnetron sputtering

et al. 2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

B 4 C coatings for 10 B-based neutron detector applications were deposited using high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) and direct current magnetron sputtering (DCMS) processes. The coatings were deposited on Si(001) as well as on flat and macrostructured (grooved) Al blades in an industrial coating unit using B 4 C compound targets in Ar. The HiPIMS and DCMS processes were conducted at substrate temperatures of 100 and 400°C and the Ar pressure was varied between 300 and 800 mPa. Neutron detector-relevant coating characterization was performed and the coating properties were evaluated with regard to their growth rate, density, level of impurities, and residual coating stress. The coating properties are mainly influenced by general process parameters such as the Ar pressure and substrate temperature. The deposition mode shows only minor effects on the coating quality and no effects on the step coverage. At a substrate temperature of 100°C and an Ar pressure of 800 mPa, well-adhering and functional coatings were deposited in both deposition modes; the coatings showed a density of 2.2 g/cm 3 , a B/C ratio of *3.9, and the lowest compressive residual stresses of 180 MPa. The best coating quality was obtained in DCMS mode using an Ar pressure of 300 mPa and a substrate temperature of 400°C. Such process parameters yielded coatings with a slightly higher density of 2.3 g/cm 3 , a B/C ratio of *4, and the compressive residual stresses limited to 220 MPa.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Low-temperature growth of boron carbide coatings by direct current magnetron sputtering and high-power impulse magnetron sputtering

et al. 2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…A standard requirement is the rejection of 0.1 mSv/h of gamma radiation from 60 Co. 15 For most fast neutron detection technologies this is a challenge; even many thermal neutrons can only achieve such rejection at the cost of e f f i c i e n c y . 16 Fast neutron detection technologies based on pressurized 4 He have demonstrated rejection of up to 1 mSv/h without compromising efficiency. 17…”

Section: False Alarms From Misinterpreted Gamma Radiationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gamma-insensitive fast neutron detector with spectral source identification potential

Chandra¹,

Davatz²,

Howard

2010

2010 IEEE International Conference on Technologies for Homeland Security (HST)

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The lack and the increasing cost of 3 He have triggered in the last years a worldwide R&D program seeking new techniques for neutron detection. For many applications a realistic alternative is needed to 3 He-based neutron detectors which so far have been the most widely used systems, as they are almost insensitive to radiation other than thermal neutrons [1], [2], [3].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For many applications a realistic alternative is needed to 3 He-based neutron detectors which so far have been the most widely used systems, as they are almost insensitive to radiation other than thermal neutrons [1], [2], [3].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Study of silicon+ 6 LiF thermal neutron detectors: GEANT4 simulations versus real data

Meo

Coséntino

Mazzone³

et al. 2017

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A:

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Research and development on alternative thermal neutron detection technologies and methods are nowadays needed as a possible replacement of 3 He-based ones. Commercial solid state silicon detectors, coupled with neutron converter layers containing 6 Li, have been proved to represent a viable solution for several applications as present in literature. In order to better understand the detailed operation and the response and efficiency of such detectors, a series of dedicated GEANT4 simulations were performed and compared with real data collected in a few different configurations. The results show a remarkable agreement between data and simulations, indicating that the behavior of the detector is fully understood.

show abstract

Neutron detection alternatives to 3He for national security applications

Cited by 260 publications

References 18 publications

Low-temperature growth of boron carbide coatings by direct current magnetron sputtering and high-power impulse magnetron sputtering

Low-temperature growth of boron carbide coatings by direct current magnetron sputtering and high-power impulse magnetron sputtering

Gamma-insensitive fast neutron detector with spectral source identification potential

Study of silicon+ 6 LiF thermal neutron detectors: GEANT4 simulations versus real data

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About