Neutron detector added to range

[Sesselmann]

Hi Guys,

I just added a new product to the range. I always wanted to make a netron detector that worked with the GS driver, but struggled for a while to get the electronics to do what I wanted it to do, but persistance paid off in the end.

http://www.gammaspectacular.com/gamma-s ... eutron-150

For those of you who like to tinker I can also supply the board with preamp only.

http://www.gammaspectacular.com/gamma-s ... eutron-pcb

Yesterday I brought the detector in to the University of Sydney year 3 lab (Marek Dolleiser's lab) and tested it with his neutron source, and together we worked out the efficiency to be close enough to 15% (nvth 0.15).

For those of you who are not familiar with neutron metrology the nvth is the relative efficiency of the whole detector to measure neutron flux through 1 ccm. So if you imagine a neutron source emitting neutrons isotropically, then at any distance r there will be a flux of neutrons passing through each cubic centimeter per second, therefore a detector with an nvth of 1.00 will detect one neutron per second in a flux of 1 n/s flux. This method of describing efficiency eliminates the need to know the physical dimensions of the detector.

Most B10 type detectors have an efficiency less than 1, while He3 detectors usually have an efficiency of 1 or more, especially if they are high pressure tubes. Very high efficiency tubes are great for measuring atmospheric neutrons, but not great if you have a very high neutron rate source as the count rate may be too high. Always pick the right detector for the job if you can.

Steven

[Geoff]

Great. My wife already bought me my christmas gift this year! Guess I'll have to use a bit of student loan money lol!