Developments of a 2D Position Sensitive Neutron Detector

TL;DR

This paper reports on the development and testing of a 2D position-sensitive neutron detector for the Chinese Spallation Neutron Source, including design improvements and performance evaluations.

Contribution

It introduces new design developments such as a high pressure chamber and optimized gas system for the neutron detector.

Findings

Successful construction and testing of the neutron detector

Enhanced detector performance with new gas filling process

Effective design of high pressure chamber

Abstract

Chinese Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS), one project of the 12th five-year-plan scheme of China, is under construction in Guangdong province. Three neutron spectrometers will be installed at the first phase of the project, where two-dimensional position sensitive thermal neutron detectors are required. Before the construction of the neutron detector, a prototype of two-dimensional 200 mmx200 mm Multi-wire Proportional Chamber (MWPC) with the flowing gas of Ar/CO2 (90/10) has been constructed and tested with the 55Fe X-Ray using part of the electronics in 2009, which showed a good performance. Following the test in 2009, the neutron detector has been constructed with the complete electronics and filled with the 6atm.3He + 2.5atm.C3H8 gas mixture in 2010. The neutron detector has been primarily tested with an Am/Be source. In this paper, some new developments of the neutron detector including the design of the high pressure chamber, the optimization of the gas purifying system and the gas filling process will be reported. The results and discussion are also presented in this paper.