Boron-Lined Straw-Tube Neutron Detector Test

Kouzes, Richard T. ; Ely, James H. ; Stromswold, David C.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (U.S.)

关键词: Availability;    Radiations;    Sensitivity;    He3 Alternative;    Plutonium;   

DOI  :  10.2172/1001143
RP-ID  :  PNNL-19600
RP-ID  :  AC05-76RL01830
RP-ID  :  1001143

美国|英语

来源: UNT Digital Library

【 摘 要 】

Radiation portal monitors used for interdiction of illicit materials at borders include highly sensitive neutron detection systems. The main reason for having neutron detection capability is to detect fission neutrons from plutonium. The currently deployed radiation portal monitors (RPMs) from Ludlum and Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) use neutron detectors based upon 3He-filled gas proportional counters, which are the most common large neutron detector. There is a declining supply of 3He in the world, and thus, methods to reduce the use of this gas in RPMs with minimal changes to the current system designs and sensitivity to cargo-borne neutrons are being investigated. Four technologies have been identified as being currently commercially available, potential alternative neutron detectors to replace the use of 3He in RPMs. Reported here are the results of tests of a boron-lined proportional counter design variation. In the testing described here, the neutron detection efficiency and gamma ray rejection capabilities of a system manufactured by Proportional Technologies, Inc, was tested.