Novel recoil nuclei detectors to qualify the AMANDE facility as a Standard for mono-energetic neutron fields

TL;DR

This paper introduces new recoil nuclei detectors based on CMOS sensors and microTPC technology to improve neutron field characterization at the AMANDE facility, aiming to establish it as a neutron standard.

Contribution

Development and initial validation of novel recoil nuclei detectors using CMOS and microTPC for direct neutron energy and fluence measurements.

Findings

Proof of principle demonstrated in preliminary measurements

Simulations optimized detector components and geometry

Detectors show potential for metrological neutron measurements

Abstract

The AMANDE facility at IRSN-Cadarache produces mono-energetic neutron fields from 2 keV to 20 MeV with metrological quality. To be considered as a standard facility, characteristics of neutron field i.e fluence distribution must be well known by a device using absolute measurements. The development of new detector systems allowing a direct measurement of neutron energy and fluence has started in 2006. Using the proton recoil telescope principle with the goal of increase the efficiency, two systems with full localization are studied. A proton recoil telescope using CMOS sensor (CMOS-RPT) is studied for measurements at high energies and the helium 4 gaseous micro-time projection chamber (microTPC He4) will be dedicated to the lowest energies. Simulations of the two systems were performed with the transport Monte Carlo code MCNPX, to choose the components and the geometry, to optimize the efficiency and detection limits of both devices or to estimate performances expected. First preliminary measurements realised in 2008 demonstrated the proof of principle of these novel detectors for neutron metrology.