Performance optimization of the neutron-sensitive image intensifier used in neutron imaging

Abstract

As a non-destructive testing technology, neutron imaging plays a great role in various fields including material science, nuclear engineering, and fundamental science. An imaging detector with a neutron sensitive image intensifier has been developed and demonstrated to achieve good spatial resolution and timing resolution. However, the performance of the neutron sensitive imaging intensifier influenced by the working voltage has not been studied. To optimize the performance of the neutron sensitive image intensifier in different voltages, experiments have been performed at the CSNS neutron beamline. The change of light yield, imaging quality with different voltages has been acquired. It shows that the image quality benefits from the high gain of MCPs and the high accelerating electric field between the MCP and the screen. Increasing the accelerating electric field is more effective than increasing the gain of MCPs for improving the imaging quality. Increasing the total gain of the MCP stack can be realized more effectively by improving the gain of standard MCP than that of nMCP. These results provide the development direction for the image intensifier in the future.