The neutron spectral moments method in the time-of-flight domain

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel analysis method using spectral moments of time-of-flight signals from multiple neutron detectors to extract detailed information about neutron source behavior.

Contribution

It develops a spectral moments approach for analyzing TOF signals, enabling extraction of neutron production time and velocity distributions from multiple detectors.

Findings

Allows determination of neutron source time-varying behavior

Provides physical interpretation for co-moments of TOF signals

Enables analysis with multiple collinear detectors

Abstract

An analysis methodology is developed for the time-of-flight (TOF) signals recorded by two or more collinear neutron detectors located at different distances from a pulsed neutron source. It is based on taking central moments of the TOF signals and relating these to a set of co-moments of the distribution of production times and velocities of neutrons emitted towards the detectors. Given n detectors, we can obtain all such co-moments of order n-1 and lower. Co-moments contain information on the time-varying behaviour of the neutron source. A physical interpretation is provided for several co-moments of interest.