Search

The aim of the LHCb Upgrade II is to operate at a luminosity of up to 1. 5 × 1 0 34 cm 2 s−1 to collect a data set of 300 fb−1. The required substantial modifications of the current LHCb electromagnetic calorimeter due to high radiation doses in the central region and increased particle densities are referred to as PicoCal. Modification of the ECAL already during Long Shutdown 3 (LS3) will reduce the occupancy and mitigate substantial ageing effects in the central region after Run 3. Several scintillating sampling ECAL technologies are currently being investigated in an ongoing R&D campaign: Spaghetti Calorimeter (SpaCal) with garnet scintillating crystals and tungsten absorber, SpaCal with scintillating plastic fibres and tungsten or lead absorber, and Shashlik with polystyrene tiles, lead absorber and fast WLS-fibres. Timing capabilities with tens of picoseconds precision and increased granularity with denser absorber in the central region are needed for pile-up mitigation. Time resolutions of better than 20 ps at high energy were observed in test beam measurements of SpaCal and Shashlik prototype modules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution of neutrons and gamma-rays in mixed fields is a main interest in pulse shape discrimination (PSD) studies, and becomes more significant when it involves techniques such as machine learning which requires true data. One of the surest methods to label neutrons and gamma-rays is neutron Time-of-Flight. This can be applied to the identification of special nuclear materials and by extension to nuclear non-proliferation. Moreover, the integration of silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) technology can make the neutron Time-of-Flight system more compact. Two EJ-276 plastic scintillators, which are capable of PSD, were coupled to SiPMs. The actual portion of neutrons from a 252Cf source intruding the gamma-rays in PSD ratio distribution, labeled by neutron Time-of-Flight, was calculated and then compared with gamma-rejection ratio (GRR) for each threshold in SiPM-based pulse shape discrimination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Particle and Nuclear Physics research and related applications, organic scintillators provide a cost-effective technology for the detection of ionising radiation. The next generation of experiments in this field is driving fundamental research and development on these materials, demanding improved light yield, radiation hardness, and fast response. Common materials such as PEN and PET have been found to offer scintillation properties competitive to commercial alternatives without the use of dopants. Motivated by their complementarity in terms of light yield, radiation hardness, and time response, there is an increasing interest in investigating PET:PEN mixtures to ascertain whether they exhibit synergistic blending. This paper presents results from the systematic development of samples of PET, PEN, and PET:PEN blends with varied mass proportions. The manufacturing technique, involving injection moulding of granule raw material, is detailed. The effects of doping the polymer base substrate with fluorescent dopants are explored. Finally, the emission spectra of the different material compositions and their relative light output are presented. • We studied the scintillation properties of scintillators based on PET and PEN. • We established an injection-moulding technique for the production of small scintillators. • We produced scintillator samples of PET:PEN blends with varied mass proportion. • The scintillation output increases with the mass proportion of PEN. • The addition of wavelength-shifting fluors (POPOP and BBOT) increases scintillation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Helium-4-based scintillation detector technology is emerging as a strong alternative to pulse-shape discrimination-capable organic scintillators for fast neutron detection and spectroscopy, particularly in extreme gamma-ray environments. The 4 He detector is intrinsically insensitive to gamma radiation, as it has a relatively low cross-section for gamma-ray interactions, and the stopping power of electrons in the 4He medium is low compared to that of 4 He recoil nuclei. Consequently, gamma rays can be discriminated by simple energy deposition thresholding instead of the more complex pulse shape analysis. The energy resolution of 4 He scintillation detectors has not yet been well-characterized over a broad range of energy depositions, which limits the ability to deconvolve the source spectra. In this work, an experiment was performed to characterize the response of an Arktis S670 4 He detector to nuclear recoils up to 9 MeV. The 4 He detector was positioned in the center of a semicircular array of organic scintillation detectors operated in coincidence. Deuterium–deuterium and deuterium–tritium neutron generators provided monoenergetic neutrons, yielding geometrically constrained nuclear recoils ranging from 0.0925 to 8.87 MeV. The detector response provides evidence for scintillation linearity beyond the previously reported energy range. The measured response was used to develop an energy resolution function applicable to this energy range for use in high-fidelity detector simulations needed by future applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new experimental method to measure muon polarization using a scintillating material has been proposed. One of the key issues for this measurement is the choice of scintillation materials which can maintain the μ + spin polarization for several μ + lifetimes. Thus far, a CeF 3 scintillating crystal has been known to be only a possible candidate and it is highly preferable to find other scintillators whose performance is nearly equivalent to CeF 3. The residual μ + polarization in a 2% cerium-doped LaF 3 scintillating crystal was measured at the J-PARC Material and Life Science Facility (MLF) by applying the longitudinal field (LF) to the LaF 3 material. The polarization was obtained to be 83 and 87 % with LF = 100 and 140 Gauss, respectively, which is high enough to measure the μ + polarization in various experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluated the performance of a SONY CMOS sensor, IU233N5-Z with a very small pixel size of 1. 12 μ m and 1 million pixels, for imaging X-rays, α and β rays. The energy resolution of X-rays was 180 eV at 5.9 keV and 184 eV at 6.5 keV when irradiating the CMOS sensor with 55Fe, and 344 eV at 14.4 keV when irradiating the CMOS sensor with 57Co, which is similar to that of the CCD detector even at room temperature. Furthermore, We read out the optical light of a CsI(Tl) scintillator by this CMOS detector and obtained a detection efficiency of ∼ 5%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fast neutron active interrogation is a powerful method for detecting shielded contraband, including explosives, narcotics, and special nuclear material. Pulsed neutron sources can produce intense, time-dependent gamma-ray signatures of contraband, but the detection of those gamma rays is frequently challenging due to high detector pileup. Organic scintillators are fast and cost-effective gamma-ray detectors and thus could be well suited for this application if they can provide adequate gamma-ray spectroscopy. We discuss the use of maximum likelihood estimation maximization based spectral reconstruction techniques for organic scintillators to reconstruct the inelastic scattering and capture gamma-ray spectra produced in neutron active interrogation. Several contraband simulants were irradiated with a pulsed deuterium-tritium neutron generator, and organic liquid scintillators were used to record the emitted radiation signatures. The gamma-ray spectra are time-gated based on the measured neutron pulse time profile, which is shown to be able to improve the signal-to-background ratio for contraband gamma-ray signatures. We isolated several major gamma-ray signatures in the reconstructed spectra that correspond to contraband constituent elements, allowing for the identification of potential contraband objects. We additionally show that the reconstructed gamma-ray spectra can be used to measure sample stoichiometry and discriminate benign from contraband simulant objects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces the characteristics of the LYSO-SiPM-based receiver used in X-ray communication (XCOM). The X-ray signal receiving scheme based on a scintillator and photodetector is an important part of the XCOM system. However, the inherent characteristics of the scintillator and photodetector hinder the improvement of the performance of the X-ray signal receiver. Thus, this paper proposes a comprehensive analysis model for modeling the counting statistical characteristics of the LYSO-SiPM-based receiver, and analyzes the effects of the receiver's characteristics on the communication performance of the OOK-modulated XCOM system. Furthermore, the LYSO-SiPM pulse X-ray signal receiver is optimized, and its performance in the XCOM experiment is tested. The experimental results are consistent with the theoretical analysis trend, indicating that the proposed analytical model can be used for XCOM performance analysis and optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Muography using cosmic ray muons is a non-invasive and environmentally friendly imaging technique with comprehensive applicability across various fields such as mineral exploration, archaeology, and engineering, etc. Given characteristics of high penetration and broad energy spectrum of cosmic ray muons, three-dimensional density distribution of objects up to hundreds of meters can be well reconstructed. In mineral exploration and archaeology applications, conventional planar detectors are too large and usually deployed in spacious rooms like tunnels or outdoors, which seriously limits the deeper and broader applications of muography. A type of borehole muon detector is highly desired to address this. In the work, we introduce a novel borehole-type muography detector comprising annular and prismatic plastic scintillators, allowing for its deployment in boreholes. In the paper, the structural design of the detector is described in details and its performance is evaluated numerically and experimentally. Comprehensive investigation on components and on the system as a whole were conducted. According to our commissioning tests, the detector we propose has an omnidirectional field of view without blind spots, with an angular uncertainty of 27.4 mrad and a position uncertainty of 2.29 mm in the azimuthal direction, an angular uncertainty of 20.6 mrad and a position uncertainty of 10.31 mm in the zenithal direction. Detection efficiencies for both annular and prismatic scintillators were measured as 90.3 ± 0.53% and 92.27 ± 0.82%. In addition, an underground location was investigated, survival rate distributions being calculated from above-ground and underground measurements. The results indicate its capability to successfully address muography applications This novel borehole-type detector has the potential to address industry demand for lower-cost, more flexible muography solutions. • Achieves high angular resolution and full 360° omnidirectional detection within a compact borehole-sized format. • Maintains >90% detection efficiency across scintillator sections. • Utilizes a simplified single-ended readout design with fewer electronic channels. • Employs low-cost, easy-to-process plastic scintillators as the primary component. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large area thermal neutron detectors are applied in many fields including industrial imaging, nuclear safeguarding, neutron scattering, and fundamental science. Historically, these detectors were based on 3He gas proportional counters despite the limitations of 3He detectors such as high cost, limited supply, non-uniform spatial resolution, and depth of absorption problems. Two alternatives to 3He detectors are 6Li-loaded glass scintillators, and powdered ZnS(Ag) scintillators mixed with 6LiF neutron converters. The 6LiF/ZnS(Ag) scintillator has advantages over 6Li glass as it is less expensive and can be produced in larger areas, although its self-absorption presents a problem. In this work, we developed a large area thermal neutron detector based on 6LiF/ZnS(Ag) scintillator coupled with wavelength shifting fibers. The detector uses resistive charge divider-based position encoding. We further modified and improved the method by 2D segmentation of the detector using modular multichannel readout electronics. This segmentation approach allows for a combination of large detector area, improved spatial resolution, and increased count rate. Furthermore, spatial resolution can be variable across the detector area by adjusting the segment size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulse shape discrimination of a liquid scintillator-based detector (BC501A) has been studied using a digital approach. The objective of this work is to develop a new neutron-gamma discrimination algorithm to improve the discrimination efficiency. The new approach is a combination of two parts. The first part uses an adaptive Sallen-Key filter to reduce noise in the pulse followed by traditional approaches of either charge comparison or time over threshold. The approach of adaptive Sallen-Key combined with time over threshold was found to have a much better capability to discriminate neutron events from that of gamma. The pulse shape discrimination performance obtained for a 5 inches by 5 inches (length by diameter) liquid scintillator detector using the combination of the adaptive Sallen-Key filter with time over threshold is found to be significantly higher compared to that obtained using traditional methods. Moreover, this combination has the potential for real-time hardware implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An energetic proton beam with a high divergence cone angle of ∼10°, generated by the interaction of a 25 fs, 800 nm Ti: Sapphire laser pulse with a thin metal foil target, was transported and focused at a specified distance from the source. A pulsed high-voltage solenoid, which generates a magnetic field of 5.7 T at a current of 8 kA, was developed in-house for this purpose. The profile of the proton beam was monitored online at various positions using a combination of a fast thin plastic scintillator and a CCD camera. The effect of solenoid misalignment on the focused proton beam was also investigated experimentally. In addition, the proton beam was transported out of the vacuum chamber into the ambient air for radiography application. A proton flux of ∼2 × 108 protons (energy >4 MeV) was transported and focused at a distance of 1.27 m from the target with a transmission efficiency of 30 % in a single shot. Detailed simulations incorporating particle tracing and transfer matrix method were performed to highlight the role of beam chromaticity and the impact of spherical harmonics on the focusing characteristics of the solenoid. The simulation results qualitatively reproduce the experimental observations. The solenoid provides energy-selective proton focusing for a broad energy proton beam. The proton beam was used for the radiography of reference meshes and has the potential to be used for radiobiological irradiation studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the development of a custom particle detection system that aims to improve the detection capabilities of the ROSPHERE array. The detector is designed specifically for lifetime measurements using the in-beam Fast-timing method for nuclear states in nuclides produced in nuclear transfer reactions. An 80 x 3.6 mm disc of BC400 plastic scintillator was coupled to a sparse SiPM array readout connected to a dedicated Front End Electronics board. The detector was tested versus a conical LaBr 3 (Ce) coupled to a Hamamatsu PMT readout. The timing measurements resulted in a resolution of 896(5) ps. The detector design, characteristics, and performances are presented in this paper along with future improvements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is important to differentiate between natural and artificial radioactive materials such as plutonium in nuclear facilities. In this study, a scintillator-based alpha-particle detector was developed using YAP:Ce scintillator and Multi-Anode PhotoMultiplier Tube. The detector was used to measure various naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) samples including radon progeny, lead plate, lantern mantle, and radium ceramic ball. The measurement results were compared with Monte Carlo simulation calculations and were found to be in agreement. The energy resolution of the detector is 8.6%FWHM. In the measurement results of radon progeny, peaks of 212Bi (6.1 MeV), 214Po (7.7 MeV), and 212Po (8.8 MeV) can be observed. The lead plate contains 210Po and emits 5.3 MeV alpha particle. The simulation with the same energy was able to reproduce the actual measurement. The results showed the energy and distribution of the alpha particles emitted by the NORM samples. The study successfully demonstrated the capability of the developed alpha-particle detector in identifying NORM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waseda University and Tokyo Tech are developing a 50 kg-class small satellite, tentatively named INnovative Space Probe for Imaging R-process Emission (I N S P I R E), which is scheduled for launch in 2027. The primary detector of the satellite is a BOX-type Compton Camera (CC-Box) that enables to observe low energy gamma rays (30 keV − 200 keV) in pinhole mode and high energy gamma rays (150 keV − 3 MeV) in Compton mode. The CC-Box consists of a pixelized Ce:GAGG scintillator array using a depth-of-interaction (DOI) structure, which is optically coupled to an MPPC array. The Ce:GAGG arrays are also positioned on the side of detector to enhance its sensitivity. Herein, we describe the detailed design of the CC-Box, its data processing flow, and its weight and power specifications. We then assess the anticipated performance of the detector in terms of continuum and line sensitivities, together with a simulation of the Crab nebula observation. Finally, a brief review of the experimental results is performed using hands-on devices already implemented in nuclear medicine and atmospheric observations, such as gamma-ray imaging of thunderclouds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new neu tron SIM ulation program based on the versatile GEANT 4 toolkit, neuSIM4 , has been developed to describe interactions of neutrons in the NE213 liquid scintillator from 0.1 to 3000 MeV. neuSIM4 is designed to accommodate complicated modern detector geometry setups with multiple scintillator detectors, each of which can be outfitted with more than one photo-multiplier. To address a broad spectrum of neutron energies, two new neutron interaction physics models, KSCIN and NxQMD, have been implemented in GEANT4. For neutrons with energy below 110 MeV, we incorporate a total of eleven neutron induced reaction channels on hydrogen and carbon nuclei, including nine carbon inelastic reaction channels, into KSCIN. Beyond 110 MeV, we implement a neutron induced reaction model, NxQMD, in GEANT4. We use its results as reference to evaluate other neutron-interaction physics models in GEANT4. We find that results from an existing cascade physics model (INCL) in GEANT4 agree very well with the results from NxQMD, and results from both codes agree with new and existing light response data. To connect KSCIN to NxQMD or INCL, we introduce a transition region where the contribution of neuSIM4 linearly decreases with corresponding increased contributions from NxQMD or INCL. To demonstrate the application of the new code, we simulate the light response and performance of a 2 × 2 m2 neutron detector wall array consisting of 25 2m-long scintillation bars. We are able to compare the predicted light response functions to the shape of the experimental response functions and calculate the efficiency of the neutron detector array for neutron energies up to 200 MeV. These simulation results will be pivotal for understanding the performance of modern neutron arrays with intricate geometries, especially in the measurements of neutron energy spectra in heavy-ion reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a compact multi-radiation imaging system, the substitution of traditional charge-coupled devices with a plastic scintillators array coupled with silicon photomultiplier detectors significantly enhances the radiation tolerance of the detection and imaging module, thereby reducing the system footprint. We present a detailed structure of a compact fast neutron/gamma-ray dual-modality imaging system based on a plastic scintillators array and evaluate its performance in imaging various samples. The detector array consists of nine 14.7 × 14.7 × 100 mm3 EJ-276 plastic scintillators coupled with corresponding silicon photomultiplier units, arranged in a 3 × 3 grid. The usage of EJ-276 plastic scintillators allows for discrimination between neutron and gamma signals through pulse shape discrimination techniques, enabling data separation between neutrons and gamma rays. In this paper, we present the experimental procedure and results of fast neutron-gamma imaging for objects containing aluminum and polyethylene materials. Fast neutrons and gammas are delivered by an Cf-252 source. The experimental results demonstrate that the system achieves dual-modality grayscale imaging and has resolution for sample thickness. Reconstructed image contrast allows qualitative differentiation of sample materials, especially detecting low-Z materials encapsulated by high-Z materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-speed X-ray imaging can be used to observe the internal evolution of objects in the microsecond range. However, obtaining data and processing images continuously are difficult when the speed of X-ray imaging is more than one million frames per second (fps). The novel method of high-speed X-ray imaging, which is based on a SiPM auto-encoding detector, was proposed. The different response to X-ray is realized by adjusting the bias voltage of different pixels to encode the analog signals. The analog signals from multiple SiPM pixels are simplified into a single signal. In this way, SiPM is constructed as the SiPM auto-encoding detector, which greatly reduces the amount of analog signals to be sampled for each frame of X-ray image, and then the image is reconstructed in the upper computer. The feasibility of the imaging method was verified by coupling the pixelated SiPM and lutetium-ytterbium scintillation crystals to construct a SiPM auto-encoding detector. Six patterns were exposed when pulsed X-rays were performed at frequencies of 100 and 500 kHz. Then, the number of image pixels was compressed from 16 to 4. The peak signal-to-noise ratio of the reconstructed images was above 41, and the structural similarity was above 0.99. Experimental results demonstrated that the speed of continuous X-ray imaging reached 500, 000 fps for six kinds of 4 × 4 pixel patterns. This method can be applied to improve the speed of high-speed continuous X-ray imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The response of a gamma-ray spectrometer is generally determined by analyzing full-energy peaks. However, full-energy peaks cannot be measured easily in the case of scintillation detectors that consist of light elements, such as glass scintillators. Only a strong Compton plateau appears in the spectrum of such detectors. Therefore, Compton edgers were used to evaluate the response of these detectors. The response of a low-resolution 6 Li-glass detector to gamma rays was measured for the first time by a coincidence method with a high-resolution LaBr 3 :Ce detector using cascade gamma rays (2.75 and 1.37 MeV) from a 24Na source. Coincidence gates were applied at the peaks of the spectrum of the LaBr 3 :Ce detector at the 0.51 MeV annihilation peak, and the sum peaks of a gamma ray and a backscattered gamma ray. By analyzing the gated spectra of the 6 Li-glass detector, the energy-dependent detector response (i.e., the output strength and its dispersion) was determined. • Evaluation of the response characteristics, including signal output and broadening, of a low-resolution 6Li-glass detector to gamma rays up to approximately 2.5 MeV. • Coincidence measurement of cascade gamma rays emitted from a 24Na source with a high-resolution detector, a LaBr 3 :Ce detector. • Peak analysis of the spectra of the 6Li-glass detector gated at gamma ray peaks of the LaBr3:Ce detector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gamma detectors consisting of lanthanum bromide (LaBr 3) scintillator and silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) have extensive applications in various scientific fields. Accurate gamma energy measurement depends on accurate calibration of these detectors. While some studies have attempted detector self-calibration based on the natural background of LaBr 3 , these methods are limited to specific LaBr 3 crystals and lack generality. To address this limitation, this paper proposes a self-calibration method that solely utilizes the natural radioactivity of 138La. By solving for the maximum similarity between the test background from measurement and the standard spectrum obtained from the Geant4 simulation, the detector is effectively calibrated. Furthermore, the application of a series of energy spectrum processing algorithms simplifies the solution complexity of the maximum similarity problem. Experimental results from four different crystals at varying temperatures demonstrate calibration errors of less than 0.8% at 662 keV, highlighting the method's broad applicability and accuracy. Besides, the influence of the background measurement time and the natural environmental background on the self-calibration method are discussed in detail, further illustrating the value of the application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NaI:Tl,6Li bulk crystals are regarded as promising neutron-gamma (n-γ) scintillators because of low production cost and superior n-γ pulse shape discrimination (PSD) performance. In this work, some rare earth elements (Gd, Y, Lu and Sc) co-doped NaI:Tl,6Li single crystals were grown by the multi-ampoule Bridgman method. It was found that the rare earth co-doping significantly improves the pulse height discrimination (PHD) capability of NaI:Tl,6Li with high alpha/beta (α/β) ratio, approaching to 100%. The optimal α/β ratios achieved for Gd, Y, Lu and Sc co-doped NaI:Tl,6Li are 0.85, 0.93, 0.95, and 0.83, respectively. Electron equivalent energy per neutron interaction is above 3.96 MeV and can be as high as 4.54 MeV, close to the Q value of 4.78 MeV for 6Li(n, α)3H interaction. Moreover, the rare earth co-doped NaI:Tl,6Li crystals still maintain the superior PSD capability with figure of merit (FoM) in the range of 2.1–3.3. These results highlight the great potential of rare-earth co-doped NaI:Tl,6Li crystals serving as high-performance n-γ scintillators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fast electronic readout for high-channel density scintillator-based systems is needed for radiation tracking and imaging in a wide range of applications, including nuclear physics, nuclear security and nonproliferation. Programmable electronics, like FPGAs and ASICs, provide a fast way of conditioning and processing the signal in real time. In this paper, we present a pulse shape discrimination (PSD) method based on the shaping circuit of a commercially available ASIC, the Citiroc1A by CAEN Technologies. We used two different shaping times per detector channel to calculate a shaping parameter that enables PSD. Using our new method, neutron and gamma-ray pulses detected by a d 12 -stilbene scintillator can be effectively discriminated at light output values greater than 0.15 MeVee. While not achieving the PSD performance of traditional offline charge integration, our method does not require the transfer of data to a separate system for further processing and enables the direct deployment of high-channel density multi-particle detection systems. Moreover, the availability of a wider range of shaping times than those on the Citiroc1A can potentially further improve the PSD performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experiments such as mu2e (FNAL, USA) and COMET (KEK, Japan) seek the direct muon-to-electron conversion to study Charged Lepton Flavor Violation processes. A highly efficient (up to 99.99% efficiency) cosmic muon detection system is needed to achieve a single-event sensitivity below 1 0 − 17 . In this article, the possibility of attaining such efficiency in the short and long term is discussed for modules based on 7-mm- or 10-mm-thick and 40-mm-wide plastic scintillation strips with a single 1.2 mm WLS fiber glued into the groove along the strip and using MPPC/SiPM for light detection. A Simplified Light Yield Distribution (SLYD) method to estimate the efficiency of the module is proposed, and the simulation results obtained with GEANT 4 for a system based on a 4-by-4 array of 7x40x3000 mm strips are compared with the experimental data. It is found that for the systems requiring efficiency of 99.99% and higher, it is important to improve the light yield as much as possible and to achieve the smallest possible gap between neighbor scintillation volumes is important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Signal saturation in the Silicon PhotoMultiplier (SiPM) often causes a serious problem in using a detector equipped with SiPMs for scintillator readout. Conventionally, SiPM signal saturation is measured through direct injection of visible light pulses to the SiPM. However, the method works poorly with the scintillation detector because the effects of the time constant of the emission of scintillation light are not included. Here, we present a novel method to measure the precise degree of SiPM signal saturation in scintillation detectors. The key difference from the conventional method is to use UV light pulses, as opposed to visible light ones, to inject and excite scintillation light in the detector. It allows us to directly measure the degree of saturation in situ taking into account all the major effects in the detector, such as the time constant of the scintillation emission. We also develop a new model for SiPM signal saturation and validate it with the measured degree of saturation with the above-mentioned new method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work aims at the investigation of the Pulse Shape Discrimination (PSD) capabilities of two very compact detection systems composed of a 3x3x3 cm3 EJ 276 and a 3x3x3 cm3 EJ 276G (the latter green shifted version) plastic scintillators, both coupled to Silicon Photomultiplier (SiPM). The studied systems are supposed to be the basic elementary cell of a new multi-detector for simultaneous detection of neutrons and light charged particles called NArCoS (Neutron Array for Correlation Studies) having both high angular and energy resolution. In this perspective, the results of the experimental qualification of two prototypes with gamma and alpha radioactive sources and in beam tests are reported, in order to characterize the optimum choice for the new device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For measuring activity of radionuclides produced in High-flux Advanced Neutron Application Reactor (HANARO) at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), a small size 4 π β – γ coincidence counter was developed. This counter comprises a liquid scintillator for detecting beta-ray and NaI crystal for detecting gamma-ray, each coupled to SiPMs (silicon photomultipliers) that do not require high-voltage devices. The performance of the newly developed detector was validated using 134Cs and 177Lu reference materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed compensated neutron logging (CNL) tool for the absolute measurement of the porosity of subsurface formation based on the computational simulation study. Conventional CNL tools use 3He gas detectors, but solid-state scintillation detectors such as stilbene and CLYC are explored in this study. Monte Carlo simulations were conducted to investigate the advantages of the proposed CNL tool and the effects of environmental parameters such as pore fluid, borehole radius, and rock type on the absolute porosity measurement. Comparing simulated responses from the stilbene and CLYC detectors with conventional 3He detector, the stilbene-based logging system was expected to exhibit the highest neutron detection efficiency, while the porosity calibration performance was evaluated to be better with the CLYC-based system. Pore fluid makes differences in porosity calibration curves associated with the hydrogen content. Larger borehole radius deteriorates the porosity calibration performance. The shape of porosity calibration curve was altered for a certain rock type. Neutron-induced gamma spectroscopy may reveal the rock type information based on gammas from certain elements. One can identify the rock type from the CLYC results based on photopeaks from silicon, which may be relatively hard to accomplish with the stilbene-based system. The proposed system is expected to allow absolute porosity measurement in a broader environmental configuration compared to the conventional system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have developed a compact detector for measuring beam particles using plastic scintillators readout through Multi-Pixel Photon Counters, which is employed for hypernuclear measurements in the WASA-FRS experiment at GSI. The Time-of-Flight resolution of the newly-developed detector has been investigated in relation to the overvoltage with respect to the breakdown voltage, a maximum counting rate of approximately 3 × 1 0 6 /s per segment, and a maximum beam charge of Z = 6. The evaluated Time-of-Flight resolutions between the neighboring segments of the detector range from 44. 6 ± 1. 3 ps to 100. 3 ± 3. 6 ps (σ) depending on the segment, overvoltage values, and beam intensity. It is also observed that the Time-of-Flight resolution is inversely correlated to the beam atomic charge (Z). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discrimination of α / β -particles based on Liquid Scintillation (LS) is a measurement technique that can be applied for environmental monitoring. This technique relies on the specific feature of the scintillation process yielding two decay components (fast and delayed) of the photon emission following a particle interaction in a LS sample; indeed, the intensity of the delayed component is higher for α -particles than for β -particles. When operating with a photon detector such as a PhotoMultiplier Tube (PMT), the Pulse-Shape Discrimination (PSD) is the traditional approach, relying on low-pass filtered signals allowing pulse-tail analysis for an α -particle identification. This paper presents a new α -particle detection method based on an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) that directly processes fast pulse trains produced by the delayed scintillation component of a single detector. The ANN is trained using an experimental dataset obtained with a single PMT channel connected in a 3-PMTs detection system from which triple coincidences resulting from α -interactions ( 241 A m) in a LS source are used for the single detector labeling. As we target a real-time implementation, the ANN is designed to minimize the computational resources. The classifier can operate with good performances (91.0% of correct classification, 8.5% false negative and 0.5% false positive) on a single-channel detector. [Display omitted] • Focus on the photons train from a scintillator instead of the integrated pulse shape. • α / β discrimination relying on an ANN which analyses the signal from a single PMT. • Training dataset labelization based on coincidence detection. • The coïncidence detection is performed using a 3-PMT TDCR experimental layout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquid argon time projection chambers (TPC) are widely used in neutrino oscillation and dark matter experiments. Detection of scintillation light in liquid argon TPC's is challenging because of its short wavelength, in the VUV range, and the cryogenic temperatures (∼ 86 K) at which the sensors must operate. Wavelength shifters (WLS) are typically needed to take advantage of the high Photon Detection Efficiency (PDE) in the visible range of most of photondetectors. The Hamamatsu VUV4 S13370–6075CN SiPMs can directly detect VUV light without the use of WLS, which main benefit is an improved PDE at these short wavelengths, but also the visible light from WLS. The manufacturer (Hamamatsu Photonics K.K.) provides a complete characterization of these devices at room temperature; however, previous studies have indicated a decrease of the PDE at cryogenic temperature for VUV light. In this work, we present the measurement of the PDE of VUV4 SiPMs at cryogenic temperature for different wavelengths in the range [270, 570] nm. A dedicated measurement at 127 nm is also shown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) is an indispensable technique in modern diagnostic medicine because it not only allows non-destructive, three-dimensional observation of the inside of the body but also provides images that highlight lesions. Recent developments in photon-counting (PC) CT systems have enabled contrast-enhanced CT scanning and quantitative evaluations, such as material discrimination and concentration estimation of contrast agents, using X-ray energy information. We established a PC-CT system that combines fast scintillators and multipixel photon counters (MPPCs) and demonstrated its performance. In this paper, we report the imaging performance of a PC-CT system using a mixture of contrast agents containing gadolinium and iodine. We performed CT imaging of a static phantom containing a mixture of the two contrast agents. The concentration of each contrast agent from the CT images in multiple energy bands were estimated. We succeeded in obtaining the concentration distributions for each contrast agent and verified the possibility of discriminating between two substances with different atomic numbers. In addition, the same procedures and analytical methods used for the static phantom were applied to the in vivo imaging of a mouse, in which gadolinium- and iodine-containing contrast agents were injected at different time intervals. We also succeeded in discriminating between the two contrast agents in vivo, making it possible to provide new imaging diagnostics such as the determination of necrotic tissues and normal blood vessels. Furthermore, we succeeded in creating three-dimensional concentration maps of gadolinium and iodine in a mouse, demonstrating the great potential of MPPC-based PC-CT for future clinical applications. • A silicon photomultiplier-based photon-counting CT system was established. • The concentration of iodine and gadolinium mixed contrast agents can be estimated. • Correction by Monte Carlo simulation improves the accuracy of the estimation. • The transition of the two contrast agents flowing in vivo is visualized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiation source localization is important for nuclear nonproliferation and can be obtained using time-encoded imaging systems with unsegmented detectors. A scintillation crystal can be used with a moving coded-aperture mask to vary the detected count rate produced from radiation sources in the far field. The modulation of observed counts over time can be used to reconstruct an image with the known coded-aperture mask pattern. Current time-encoded imaging systems incorporate cylindrical coded-aperture masks and have limits to their fully coded imaging field-of-view. This work focuses on expanding the field-of-view to 4 π by using a novel spherical coded-aperture mask. A regular icosahedron is used to approximate a spherical mask. This icosahedron consists of 20 equilateral triangles; the faces of which are each subdivided into four equilateral triangle-shaped voxels which are then projected onto a spherical surface, creating an 80-voxel coded-aperture mask. These polygonal voxels can be made from high-Z materials for gamma-ray modulation and/or low-Z materials for neutron modulation. In this work, we present Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) simulations and simple models programmed in Mathematica to explore image reconstruction capabilities of this 80-voxel coded-aperture mask. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead halide perovskites are reportedly a very promising group of materials for scintillation due to their fast sub-nanosecond exciton luminescence, small band-gaps, and high theoretical light yield. Unfortunately, they only show emission at cryogenic temperatures. In this work single crystals of CsPbBr 3 and CsPbCl 3 are studied at cryogenic temperatures. Upon comparing the 10 K emission spectra measured under X-ray and UV–vis excitation, a new near-infrared emission was found for both CsPbBr 3 and CsPbCl 3 only present under X-ray excitation. The integral light yields of CsPbBr 3 and CsPbCl 3 at 10 K are estimated to be 34,000 and 2,200 photons/MeV under 40 keV X-ray excitation, respectively. The main components of the light yield of CsPbBr 3 at 10 K are the near band-gap free exciton emission that suffers from self-absorption and the broad near-infrared emission that falls outside the typical detection range of a photo-multiplier tube. Due to the combination of the two aforementioned effects it was not possible to measure a γ -ray pulse height spectrum for CsPbBr 3 at 10 K. Despite all the suitable properties, like the fast decay, a small band-gap, and the positive prospects of 3D perovskite based scintillators, we conclude that these materials perform poorly as scintillation crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, digital X-ray imaging detectors with indirect detection technology have been widely used in dental digital radiography such as intra-oral, panorama and dental CT. These indirect X-ray imaging detectors are based on the combination of a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) array with various high-resolution scintillating screens such as CsI, GOS materials. Currently, a CMOS panel-based indirect X-ray imaging detector with low radiation dose and excellent spatial resolution has been widely utilized for digital intra-oral radiography. In this work, different high-resolution scintillation screens such as FOS (fiber optic scintillator) with needle structured CsI:Tl and Gd 2 O 2 S:Tb(GOS) materials with different mass density(or screen thickness) were used to investigate and optimize the imaging characterization. The used different FOS screens are a highly X-ray absorption material that minimizes and removes the direct X-ray induced noise. The used scintillator's configuration parameters were tested and optimized for superior image quality at low X-ray exposure condition. For image characterization and optimization of the X-ray image device, different scintillating screens were directly combined on the bare high-resolution CMOS photodiode array. The imaging performance such as the relative light response to same X-ray exposure dose, modulation transfer function (MTF) and X-ray imaging with a tooth phantom was measured under practical dental condition with 60-65 kVp tube voltage and 10 mA tube current. The X-ray imaging with high spatial resolution could be implemented through the experimental results with a CMOS imaging detector using different FOS with CsI and GOS materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a global trend to increase the light yield of CsI scintillators used in neutrino and dark matter detection by operating undoped crystals at cryogenic temperatures. However, high light yield alone is not sufficient to guarantee a low-energy threshold. The response of undoped crystals to nuclear recoils at cryogenic temperatures is equally important. A liquid nitrogen-based cryostat was developed to measure the nuclear quenching factor of a small undoped CsI crystal using monoenergetic neutron beams at the Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory (TUNL). To minimize neutron scattering, high-Z materials were reduced around the crystal. The structure and performance of the cryostat are described in detail. Using this cryostat, a system light yield of 33. 4 ± 2. 0 photoelectrons per keV electron-equivalent (PE/keV ee) was observed at 5.9 keV ee , enabling the measurement of nuclear quenching factors at very low energies. The results of the quenching factor measurement will be reported in a subsequent paper. Non-negligible negative overshoot was observed in the tails of the observed light pulses. The origin of this issue and the correction procedure are described in detail. This information may be useful for others who encounter similar technical challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precise measurement under high counting rates has been a major challenge for γ -ray spectroscopy, where signals generally pile up with each other and their characteristic values are deeply coupled. An off-line pile-up pulse recovery algorithm based on template matching is developed for LaBr 3 scintillation detectors and has been applied to data from China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) Back-n white neutron beamline. As an improvement to the traditional Template Matching methods, the predetermined template shape is associated with pulse amplitudes, which is found crucial to achieve the best fitting results. Moreover, a universal strategy of setting the initial values of fitting allows to resolve signals that are separated in time by less than the characteristic rise time. Processing of simulated pulses demonstrates that the lower limit of interval to distinguish successive events is 10 ns, which is a significant improvement to the previous works. The algorithm performs well under a counting rate of 6 × 1 0 7 s−1, and is still effective up to 1 0 8 s−1. Analysis of experimental data indicates that this algorithm recovers over 98% count yield under a counting rates of no more than 4 × 1 0 6 s−1 in this work, providing a more reliable approach to deduce neutron-induced reaction cross sections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neutron and gamma-ray imaging systems are deployed within the field of nuclear safeguards for the detection and localization of special nuclear materials and other materials of interest. 237Np is one of these materials of interest due its presence in spent nuclear fuel and potential for use in nuclear weapons when purified. Here, for the first time, a 6 kg neptunium sphere (98.8 wt% 237Np) was measured using a dual-particle imager, from the University of Michigan, consisting of organic glass and inorganic scintillators. The novel composition of organic glass scintillator was recently developed at Sandia National Labs and has been used in particle imaging systems due to its time resolution and particle discrimination capabilities. Gamma-ray energy spectra from single and coincident events were extracted and the sequencing of Compton scatter and photoelectric absorption gamma-ray events was used to generate images using simple backprojection. The emissions of interest in this work are the 312 keV and 416 keV gamma rays from 233Pa, a daughter isotope from the neptunium decay series. The results of this work show that there is close agreement between the true source location in angular space and the converged location from the gamma ray images created using the system. The gamma spectroscopy from single and coincident events also identified the characteristic emission from the daughter isotope and could be used to assist with the identification of 237Np. Furthermore, successful localization of the source with 5 s of data demonstrates the practical application of the imaging system for imaging and detection of material in weapons-useable quantities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As nondestructive imaging techniques become more commonplace, imaging systems must be improved and optimized to meet the growing demand. One key aspect of neutron imaging systems is the scintillator, which determines the time necessary to acquire an image and can also limit the spatial resolution achievable by a system. In this work, X-ray computed tomography was coupled with image processing to measure parameters of a boron-based neutron scintillator screen. The screen's surface and subsurface were examined for defects and a thickness measurement as a function of position was also successfully implemented. Higher resolution scans of a sub-volume of the scintillator coating enabled visualization of the packing of the converter and phosphor powders while also revealing microscopic porosity within the scintillator material. The converter-to-phosphor ratio was quantified with the examined area showing a ZnS:Ag phosphor volume of approximately 60.70% of the entire scintillator volume, while Na10B 5 O 8 converter accounted for approximately 38.76% of the volume. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measurement of the space neutron radiation environment has put forward new requirements for the miniaturization and lightweight design of neutron spectrometers. In this paper, a compact broad-spectrum neutron spectrometer was designed, in which the fast neutron detector was based on the EJ-254 scintillator-coupled with SiPMs array, and the thermal and epithermal neutron detectors were based on the NaI(Tl + Li) (NaIL) scintillator coupled with SiPMs array encapsulated in Al and Cd shells, respectively. The overall weight of the neutron spectrometer was only 2.4 kg, and its dimensions were 154 mm × 123 mm × 115 mm. The fast neutron energy spectrum was obtained based on the capture-gated method and the Maximum Likelihood Expectation Maximization (MLEM) unfolding algorithm; the counts of thermal and epithermal neutrons were obtained based on the optimized frequency-domain Pulse Shape Discrimination (PSD) method and cadmium difference method. The proposed neutron spectrometer with all applied methods was tested as a whole system with a252Cf and a241Am–Be source. The spectrum result was compared to an ISO standard source. The accuracy of fast part of 0.5–10 MeV was 5.9% in definition of Relative Root Mean Squared Error (RRMSE). The thermal and epithermal neutron counts were far higher than standard spectrum, and we proved it being effected by laboratory introduced neutron scattering through a simulation, thus the thermal and epithermal flux measurements was believed to be decent. The Figure of Merit (FoM) of the NaIL's PSD neutron gamma discrimination were 2.57 and 2.90 respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO) is a state-of-the-art liquid scintillator-based neutrino physics experiment under construction in South China. To reduce the background from external radioactivities, a water Cherenkov detector composed of 35 kton ultra-pure water and 2,400 20-inch photomultiplier tubes is developed. Even after specialized treatment, ultra-pure water still contains trace levels of radioactive elements that can contribute to the detector background. Among which 222Rn is particularly significant. To address this, an online radon removal system based on the JUNO prototype has been developed. By integrating micro-bubble generators to enhance degasser's radon removal efficiency, the radon concentration in water can be reduced to 1 mBq/m3 level, meeting the stringent requirements of JUNO. Additionally, a highly sensitive online radon concentration measurement system capable of detecting concentrations ∼ 1 mBq/m 3 has been developed to monitor the radon concentration in water. In this paper, the details regarding both systems will be presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the MeV gamma-ray band is a promising energy-band window in astrophysics, the current situation of MeV gamma-ray astronomy significantly lags behind those of the other energy bands in angular resolution and sensitivity. An electron-tracking Compton camera (ETCC), a next-generation MeV detector, is expected to revolutionize the situation. An ETCC tracks each Compton-recoil electron with a gaseous electron tracker and determines the incoming direction of each gamma-ray photon; thus, it has a strong background rejection power and yields a better angular resolution than classical Compton cameras. Here, we study ETCC events in which the Compton-recoil electrons do not deposit all energies to the electron tracker but escape and hit the surrounding pixel scintillator array (PSA). The PSA provides additional information on the electron-recoil direction, which enables us to improve significantly the angular resolution. We developed an analysis method for this untapped class of events and applied it to laboratory and simulation data. We found that the energy spectrum obtained from the simulation agreed with that of the actual data within a factor of 1.2. We then evaluated the detector performance using the simulation data. The angular resolution for the new-class events was found to be twice as good as in the previous study at the energy range 1.0–2.0 MeV, where both analyses overlap. We also found that the total effective area is dominated by the contribution of the double-hit events above an energy of 1.5 MeV. Notably, applying this new method extends the sensitive energy range with the ETCC from 0.2–2.1 MeV in the previous studies to up to 3.5 MeV. Adjusting the PSA dynamic range should improve the sensitivity in even higher energy gamma-rays. The development of this new analysis method would pave the way for future observations by ETCC to fill the MeV-band sensitivity gap in astronomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As part of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) decommissioning, the release of stored treated water began in 2023. We developed a practical tritium monitor to continuously supervise the tritiated water concentration at FDNPP. The monitor contains a flow cell detector comprising plastic scintillator pellets and incorporating simultaneous measurements by three detectors, a veto detector, and lead shielding to reduce the influence of environmental γ rays. The system reached a detection limit of 593 Bq L−1 in 60 min, which is lower than the discharge standard for tritiated water of 1,500 Bq L−1. • Development of a simple and practical tritium monitor. • 0.2 L flow cell type detector consisting of plastic scintillator pellets. • The efficiency of tritiated water with full water is 3.88 × 10−5 s−1 Bq−1 L. • Minimum detectable activity of 593 Bq L−1 in 60 min. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of the neutron light-yield response is crucial to the understanding of scintillator-based neutron detectors. In this work, neutrons from 2–6 MeV have been used to study the scintillation light-yield response of the liquid scintillators NE 213A, EJ 305, EJ 331 and EJ 321P using event-by-event waveform digitization. Energy calibration was performed using a GEANT4 model to locate the edge positions of the Compton distributions produced by gamma-ray sources. The simulated light yield for neutrons from a PuBe source was compared to measured recoil proton distributions, where neutron energy was selected by time-of-flight. This resulted in an energy-dependent Birks parameterization to characterize the non-linear response to the lower energy neutrons. The NE 213A and EJ 305 results agree very well with existing data and are reproduced nicely by the simulation. New results for EJ 331 and EJ 321P, where the simulation also reproduces the data well, are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two organic scintillators (EJ309 and stilbene) with their different detection chains and elaborate software were used to measure neutron spectra of AmBe and PuC sources. Method of shadow cone ensures minimization of scattered neutron influence. To separate neutrons and γ, a modern method of pulse shape discrimination was employed using fast digitizers. Calibration was performed by γ sources and three different methods for the identification of the Compton edge. Spectrometric systems also used different light output functions and unfolding methods. The same spectra were calculated using the MCNP6 code and the JENDL-5 library. The measured and calculated results were mutually compared, and also with the published results available in the literature. Generally, the results agree on the main peaks of neutron spectra but differ in their abundance. The lower limit for the ability to distinguish between neutrons and γ in spectrometry with organic scintillators was found at about 1.5 MeV. • Neutron spectra of AmBe and PuC sources were measured and calculated. • The measured/unfolded spectra and calculated ones agree in shape. • Methods of energy calibration and neutron/gamma separation are described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decay time spectra of a scintillator can be measured precisely using synchrotron radiation. In such measurements, one should maintain the constraint that a photodetector detects less than one scintillation photon per excitation event. This is required to ensure the random detection of scintillation light. The scintillation decay times of 20 and 0 wt% Bi 2 O 3 nanoparticle-loaded plastic scintillators (Bi-PLSs) were measured recently using a synchrotron X-ray beam. Phosphor of 2-(4-tert-butylphenyl)-5-(4-biphenylyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazoleutyl (butyl-PBD) was mixed with 1 mol% of polyvinyltoluene-based Bi-PLSs. The scintillation pulse-height distribution of the samples was investigated using a cooled SiPM for the decay time measurement. The cooled SiPM detector demonstrated a good energy resolution and could distinguish the number of scintillation photons emitted during one X-ray pulse excitation. The experiments were executed using 67.41 keV X-rays at beamline BL-14A of the Photon Factory ring. From the pulse-height measurements, we determined that a smaller aperture covering the scintillator was crucial for decreasing the frequency of multi-photon events per X-ray event. The decay time values of 20 and 0 wt% Bi-PLS with butyl-PBD were finally obtained as 1.33 ± 0.01 ns and 1.42 ± 0.01 ns under an adjusted experimental condition. A statistical discussion is presented for a timing profile that the single- and multi-photon events form in a time spectrum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel beam profiler based on microstructured scintillation resin is presented. The detector consists of a bundle of waveguides, featuring an active area of 30 × 30 mm 2 with a fill factor of 50% and a pitch of 400 μ m. This configuration is obtained by casting a scintillating resin into a microfabricated Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) mold. A prototype, coupled to an array of photodiodes and readout electronics, potentially allowing profile rates up to 7 kHz, has undergone testing with an ultraviolet (UV) source and a proton beam accelerated at different energies, typical of those employed in proton therapy. The experimental results obtained during the test campaigns were compared with theoretical simulations demonstrating a good agreement with the modeling expectations, thus confirming the validity of this novel design for microstructured scintillating detectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging thorium-based reactor designs and fuel cycles present challenges to traditional non-destructive assay techniques used in international safeguards. Specifically, assaying the masses of 233U and 235U when they are present together in samples with high gamma ray backgrounds is difficult because of similar passive neutron signatures and relatively weak gamma-ray emissions of 233U. The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are developing a portable neutron resonance transmission analysis (pNRTA) system as one potential solution to these challenges. This method provides isotopic concentration data for a sample via neutron time-of-flight (TOF) measurements that exploit epithermal neutron resonance cross-sections. A recently developed pNRTA system uses a commercially available, pulsed deuterium-tritium neutron generator with a ∼2 m flight path and a GS20 lithium glass scintillator detector. This paper describes the prototype pNRTA system design, a refined radiation transport model of the system, preliminary measurements with thorium and uranium sources, and demonstration of a quantitative isotopic estimation algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gd 3 Al 2 Ga 3 O 12 :Ce (GAGG) scintillators with different readout photo-sensors, a 2 × 2 matrix of four SensL ARRAY J-60035-4P-BGA silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs), and a HAMAMATSU R5505-70 photomultiplier (PMT) have been tested for neutrons obtained from neutron generators exploiting d-d and d-t reactions. It was demonstrated that neutrons having energy 2.8 MeV produce in the detector materials the spectrum of secondary particles, which is identical to the spectrum measured under thermal neutrons of the isotope sources. The pulse height spectra detected under 14.6 MeV neutrons were found to be quite different. Pulse shape discrimination (PSD) data processing technique was applied to separate neutron and γ-ray signals. The signals of secondary particles, protons, and α-particles were confidently distinguished at the strong background of the γ-rays. The results gathered open up the prospects of using the GAGG scintillator to identify neutrons generated in d-t reactions against a strong background of γ-rays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The utilization of large-scale neutron detector arrays in future experiments is of vital importance to increase our understanding of β -delayed neutron emitters. A new device, DAEMON (Detector Array for Energy Measurements Of Neutrons), is being designed for the GRIFFIN decay station at TRIUMF-ISAC. DAEMON will improve the precision on the measurement of the neutron kinetic energy through the use of thin plastic scintillators, SiPMs arrays, and the Time-of-Flight technique, to enhance the current capabilities to study neutron rich nuclei at TRIUMF. The performance and feasibility of the DAEMON array was investigated using the Geant4 package to simulate and optimize the experimental design. To test the optical parameters and models implemented in the Geant4 simulations, a comparison with experimental data from small plastic scintillators combined with SiPM detectors was performed. The simulations reproduce the experimental data very well, including features introduced by summing 2 × 2-SiPM arrays in software. This work lays the foundation for simulations of the full DAEMON array. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]