<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">The aim of this study was to investigate the thermal neutron measurement capability of a CdZnTe detector irradiated in a mixed gamma-neutron radiation field. A CdZnTe detector was irradiated in one of the irradiation tubes of a 241Am-Be source unit to determine the sensitivity factors of the detector in terms of peak count rate (counts per second [cps]) per neutron flux (in square centimeters per second) [cps/neutron·cm−2·s−1]. The CdZnTe detector was covered in a 1-mm-thick cadmium (Cd) cylindrical box to completely absorb incoming thermal neutrons via 113Cd(n,γ) capture reactions. To achieve, this Cd-covered CdZnTe detector was placed in a well-thermalized neutron field (<italic>f</italic>-ratio = 50.9 ± 1.3) in the irradiation tube of the 241Am-Be neutron source. The gamma-ray spectra were acquired, and the most intense gamma-ray peak at 558 keV (0.74 γ/n) was evaluated to estimate the thermal neutron flux. The epithermal component was also estimated from the bare CdZnTe detector irradiation because the epithermal neutron cutoff energy is about 0.55 eV at the 1-mm-thick Cd filter. A high-density polyethylene moderating cylinder box can also be fitted into the Cd filter box to enhance thermal sensitivity because of moderation of the epithermal neutron component. Neutron detection sensitivity was determined from the measured count rates from the 558 keV photopeak, using the measured neutron fluxes at different irradiation positions. The results indicate that the CdZnTe detector can serve as a neutron detector in mixed gamma-neutron radiation fields, such as reactors, neutron generators, linear accelerators, and isotopic neutron sources. New thermal neutron filters, such as Gd and Tb foils, can be tested instead of the Cd filter due to its serious gamma-shielding effect.</abstract>

The aim of this study was to investigate the thermal neutron measurement capability of a CdZnTe detector irradiated in a mixed gamma-neutron radiation field. A CdZnTe detector was irradiated in one of the irradiation tubes of a 241Am-Be source unit to determine the sensitivity factors of the detector in terms of peak count rate (counts per second [cps]) per neutron flux (in square centimeters per second) [cps/neutron·cm−2·s−1]. The CdZnTe detector was covered in a 1-mm-thick cadmium (Cd) cylindrical box to completely absorb incoming thermal neutrons via 113Cd(n,γ) capture reactions. To achieve, this Cd-covered CdZnTe detector was placed in a well-thermalized neutron field (f-ratio = 50.9 ± 1.3) in the irradiation tube of the 241Am-Be neutron source. The gamma-ray spectra were acquired, and the most intense gamma-ray peak at 558 keV (0.74 γ/n) was evaluated to estimate the thermal neutron flux. The epithermal component was also estimated from the bare CdZnTe detector irradiation because the epithermal neutron cutoff energy is about 0.55 eV at the 1-mm-thick Cd filter. A high-density polyethylene moderating cylinder box can also be fitted into the Cd filter box to enhance thermal sensitivity because of moderation of the epithermal neutron component. Neutron detection sensitivity was determined from the measured count rates from the 558 keV photopeak, using the measured neutron fluxes at different irradiation positions. The results indicate that the CdZnTe detector can serve as a neutron detector in mixed gamma-neutron radiation fields, such as reactors, neutron generators, linear accelerators, and isotopic neutron sources. New thermal neutron filters, such as Gd and Tb foils, can be tested instead of the Cd filter due to its serious gamma-shielding effect.

Investigation of thermal neutron detection capability of a CdZnTe detector in a mixed gamma-neutron radiation field

Nukleonika

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

The aim of this study was to investigate the thermal neutron measurement capability of a CdZnTe detector irradiated in a mixed gamma-neutron radiation field. A...

Investigation of thermal neutron detection capability of a CdZnTe detector in a mixed gamma-neutron radiation field

Published Online: Nov 02, 2018

Page range: 59 - 64

Received: Nov 10, 2017

Accepted: Aug 29, 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/nuka-2018-0007

Keywords
neutron detection, CdZnTe, prompt gamma ray, thermal neutron, cadmium, neutron sensitivity, Am-Be source

© 2018 Haluk Yücel et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Investigation of thermal neutron detection capability of a CdZnTe detector in a mixed gamma-neutron radiation field

Published Online: Nov 02, 2018

Page range: 59 - 64

Received: Nov 10, 2017

Accepted: Aug 29, 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/nuka-2018-0007

Keywordsneutron detection, CdZnTe, prompt gamma ray, thermal neutron, cadmium, neutron sensitivity, Am-Be source

© 2018 Haluk Yücel et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Keywords
neutron detection, CdZnTe, prompt gamma ray, thermal neutron, cadmium, neutron sensitivity, Am-Be source