Fast Neutron Resonance Radiography in a Pulsed Neutron Beam

TL;DR

This study explores the feasibility of fast neutron resonance radiography using a pulsed neutron beam at PTB, evaluating different detectors and imaging methods for improved resolution and sensitivity.

Contribution

It introduces a new application of neutron resonance radiography with specific detector configurations and demonstrates its potential through experimental imaging results.

Findings

Successful imaging of carbon samples demonstrating method resolution

Comparison of detector performance for neutron imaging

Potential for enhanced material identification using resonance signatures

Abstract

The feasibility of performing fast neutron resonance radiography at the PTB accelerator facility is studied. A neutron beam of a broad spectral distribution is produced by a pulsed 13 MeV deuterium beam hitting a thick Be target. The potential of 3 different neutron imaging detectors with time-of flight capability are investigated. The applied methods comprise wire chambers with hydrogenous converter layers and a fast plastic scintillator with different optical readout schemes. We present the neutron facility, the imaging methods employed and results obtained. in beam experiments where samples of carbon rods with various length and diameter were imaged to study resolution and sensitivity of the method.