Large field-of-view event-mode camera for high-precision epithermal neutron resonance imaging.

Area of Science:

• Neutron imaging
• Materials science
• Nuclear physics

Background:

• Conventional energy-resolved neutron imaging (ERNI) systems are time-consuming.
• There is a need for efficient, large-field-of-view neutron imaging techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel, large-area event-mode camera system for neutron resonance imaging (NRI).
• To assess the system's capability for high spatial resolution and isotopic analysis.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a [Formula: see text]LiF-ZnS:Ag scintillator coupled with an event-mode camera on the ERNI flight path (FP5) at LANSCE.
• Reconstructed neutron events from individual photon emissions for high-resolution imaging.
• Employed center-of-gravity photon cluster centroiding for spatial resolution determination.

Main Results:

• Achieved a large 120×120 mm[Formula: see text] field of view with efficient resonance data capture in a single acquisition.
• Demonstrated high spatial resolution of approximately 340 μm.
• Successfully determined isotopic distributions and reconstructed complex scenes, showcasing neutron/gamma discrimination.

Conclusions:

• The developed system offers a versatile, cost-effective solution for large field-of-view, high spatial and temporal resolution ERNI.
• Potential applications span various scientific and industrial domains requiring detailed neutron imaging.
• The system significantly reduces beam time compared to conventional methods.