A simple setup for neutron tomography at the Portuguese Nuclear Research Reactor

TL;DR

This paper presents a straightforward neutron tomography setup at the Portuguese Nuclear Research Reactor, evaluating its operational parameters and demonstrating its imaging capabilities with historical artifact samples.

Contribution

It introduces a simple neutron tomography setup and characterizes its operational parameters, enhancing accessibility for neutron imaging applications.

Findings

Optimal irradiation time for best image quality identified

Spatial resolution of the setup determined

Successful imaging of historical tile fragment

Abstract

A simple setup for neutron radiography and tomography was recently installed at the Portuguese Research Reactor. The objective of this work was to determine the operational characteristics of the installed setup, namely the irradiation time to obtain the best dynamic range for individual images and the spatial resolution. The performance of the equipment was demonstrated by imaging a fragment of a 17th century decorative tile.