Improved Fast Neutron Spectroscopy via Detector Segmentation

TL;DR

This paper introduces a hardware segmentation technique for organic scintillator detectors that improves fast neutron spectroscopy by enabling event-by-event corrections and better energy deposition measurement.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel segmented detector approach that reduces effects complicating neutron energy measurement, enhancing spectral accuracy.

Findings

Segmented detectors improve energy resolution.

Event-by-event correction enhances spectral accuracy.

Higher segment multiplicity correlates with complete energy deposition.

Abstract

Organic scintillators are widely used for fast neutron detection and spectroscopy. Several effects complicate the interpretation of results from detectors based upon these materials. First, fast neutrons will often leave a detector before depositing all of their energy within it. Second, fast neutrons will typically scatter several times within a detector, and there is a non-proportional relationship between the energy of, and the scintillation light produced by, each individual scatter; therefore, there is not a deterministic relationship between the scintillation light observed and the neutron energy deposited. Here we demonstrate a hardware technique for reducing both of these effects. Use of a segmented detector allows for the event-by-event correction of the light yield non-proportionality and for the preferential selection of events with near-complete energy deposition, since these will typically have high segment multiplicities.