Fast-Neutron Survey With Compact Plastic Scintillation Detectors

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Instrumentation
• Radiation Detection and Measurement

Background:

• Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs) enable compact and portable scintillation detectors.
• Existing detectors may lack the sensitivity or portability for certain mixed radiation fields.

Purpose of the Study:

• Develop and test a prototype survey meter for fast-neutrons and gamma-rays.
• Evaluate the detector's performance in mixed radiation fields.

Main Methods:

• Utilized an EJ-299-34 plastic scintillator with SiPM readout.
• Employed a custom digital pulse processor for on-the-fly pulse shape discrimination.
• Calculated ambient dose equivalent H*(10) using energy-dependent 'G-functions'.

Main Results:

• Achieved a sensitivity of 0.10–0.22 cps/(µSv/hr) for fast-neutrons (>2.5 MeV).
• Demonstrated comparable readings to commercial survey meters in laboratory fields.
• Highlighted the detector's high sensitivity and lightweight characteristics.

Conclusions:

• The developed SiPM-based survey meter is a promising tool for portable radiation detection.
• Its capabilities are well-suited for rapid surveys in industrial and homeland security applications.
• The detector's performance validates its potential for mixed neutron/gamma-ray field monitoring.