A scintillating plastic fiber array and multiplexer based 384-channel fast neutron spectrometer

Area of Science:

• Nuclear physics
• Particle detection instrumentation

Background:

• Fast neutrons (10-100 MeV) are crucial in various applications.
• Accurate detection and spectral analysis of fast neutrons remain challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and evaluate a fast neutron detection system.
• To measure the energy spectrum of fast neutrons within the 10-100 MeV range.

Main Methods:

• Utilized nuclear recoil to determine neutron energy by measuring recoil proton tracks and deposited energy.
• Employed a scintillating plastic fiber array with a staggered structure of two fiber sizes (0.5 mm and 3 mm).
• Integrated position sensitive photomultiplier tubes and high-density readout electronics with a multiplexer for 384-channel signal processing.

Main Results:

• The detector demonstrated good energy linearity.
• Achieved experimental energy resolutions of 32.90%-36.84% for neutrons between 14.817 MeV and 24.220 MeV.
• Simulations predicted an energy resolution of 23%-35% for the 10-100 MeV range.

Conclusions:

• The developed fast neutron detection system shows promising performance.
• The staggered fiber array design enhances detection efficiency and energy range.
• The optimized prototype holds potential for advancing fast neutron detection technology.