A Fast Neutron Radiography System Using a High Yield Portable DT Neutron Source

Area of Science:

• Nuclear instrumentation
• Medical imaging physics

Background:

• Neutron imaging offers unique material contrast for non-destructive evaluation.
• High-resolution neutron imaging is crucial for detailed analysis in various scientific fields.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the spatial resolution of a neutron imaging system.
• To evaluate the performance of a portable neutron generator and digital camera setup.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a 14.1 MeV DT neutron generator and a scintillation-based neutron camera.
• Employed a custom plastic USAF-1951 resolution chart and edge objects for measurements.
• Calculated the modulation transfer function from edge-spread functions.

Main Results:

• Achieved a spatial resolution of 0.35 cycles per millimeter.
• The neutron generator had a yield of 3 × 10^9 n/s and a 1.5 mm spot size.
• The neutron camera used a 6LiF/ZnS:Cu-doped polypropylene screen.

Conclusions:

• The developed neutron imaging system demonstrates promising spatial resolution.
• This portable system is suitable for applications requiring detailed neutron imaging.