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Diamond-based neutron scatter camera

  • Alghamdi, Ahmed (Nuclear Science Research Institute, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology) ;
  • Lukosi, Eric (Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of Tennessee)
  • Received : 2020.12.15
  • Accepted : 2021.09.29
  • Published : 2022.04.25

Abstract

In this study, a diamond-based neutron scatter camera (DNSC) was developed for neutron spectroscopy in high flux environments. The DNSC was evaluated experimentally and through simulations. It was simulated using several Monte Carlo codes in a two-array layout. The two-array model included two diamond detectors. The simulation reconstructed the spectra of 252Cf and 239Pu-Be neutron sources with high accuracy (~93%). The two-diamond array system was experimentally evaluated, demonstrating the neutron spectroscopy capabilities of the DNSC. The reconstructed spectrum of the 239Pu-Be source manifested the characteristic peaks of the source. The advantage of a DNSC over a NSC is its ability to define any neutron double-scattering events without the need to absorb incident neutrons in the second detector, and atomic recoil energy information is not needed to determine the incident neutron energy.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

The first author would like to express his gratitude for the PhD scholarship provided from King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), Saudi Arabia.

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