The detection of illicit nuclear sources and SNM requires an ubiquitous network of sensors. While ³He proportional counters are excellent neutron detectors, there is an insufficient global supply of ³He to create the required number of detectors. Alternatives to ³He must be efficient, insensitive to gamma radiation, easily manufactured, rugged, and inexpensive to enable the procurement of a large numbers of sensors. The use of a high sensitivity solid-state optical detector coupled to scintillation materials, loaded with a neutron absorber such as ⁶Li or ¹⁰B, can fulfill these design constraints. In this work, we compare the properties of neutron-sensitive scintillation materials utilizing Monte Carlo simulations and experiments. Cs2LiLaBr6:Ce is compared to commercially available boron-loaded plastic scintillators and ³He tubes. The scintillators are compared for neutron detection efficiency, limitations on size, gamma-rejection ratio, neutron detection limits, manufacturing cost, and availability for mass-production.

Date Published: 12 September 2009
PDF: 10 pages
Proc. SPIE 7449, Hard X-Ray, Gamma-Ray, and Neutron Detector Physics XI, 74491P (12 September 2009); doi: 10.1117/12.830150

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 7449:
Hard X-Ray, Gamma-Ray, and Neutron Detector Physics XI
Ralph B. James; Larry A. Franks; Arnold Burger, Editor(s)