# Fast neutron spectroscopy from 1 MeV up to 15 MeV with Mimac-FastN, a mobile and directional fast neutron spectrometer

## TL;DR

The paper introduces Mimac-FastN, a portable, directional neutron spectrometer capable of measuring fast neutrons from 1 MeV to 15 MeV, aiding in dark matter background discrimination.

## Contribution

It presents the development and characterization of Mimac-FastN, a novel portable neutron spectrometer with a wide energy range and directional detection capabilities.

## Key findings

- Effective neutron energy measurement from 1 to 15 MeV.
- Demonstrated directional detection at the GENESIS facility.
- Potential application in dark matter search backgrounds.

## Abstract

In the frame of direct dark matter search, the fast neutrons producing elastic collisions are the ultimate background. The MIMAC (MIcro-tpc MAtrix Chambers) project has developed a directional detector providing the directional signature to discriminate them based on 3D nuclear tracks reconstruction. The MIMAC team of the LPSC has adapted one MIMAC chamber as a portable fast neutron spectrometer, the Mimac-FastN detector, having a very large neutron energy range (10 keV - 600 MeV) with different gas mixtures and pressures. The present paper shows its main features and functionality and demonstrates its potential in the energy range from 1 MeV to 15 MeV at the GENESIS neutron source facility of LPSC.

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/1906.03878