33 research outputs found
Fast Neutron Detection with 6Li-loaded Liquid Scintillator
We report on the development of a fast neutron detector using a liquid
scintillator doped with enriched Li-6. The lithium was introduced in the form
of an aqueous LiCl micro-emulsion with a di-isopropylnaphthalene-based liquid
scintillator. A Li-6 concentration of 0.15 % by weight was obtained. A 125 mL
glass cell was filled with the scintillator and irradiated with fission-source
neutrons. Fast neutrons may produce recoil protons in the scintillator, and
those neutrons that thermalize within the detector volume can be captured on
the Li-6. The energy of the neutron may be determined by the light output from
recoiling protons, and the capture of the delayed thermal neutron reduces
background events. In this paper, we discuss the development of this 6Li-loaded
liquid scintillator, demonstrate the operation of it in a detector, and compare
its efficiency and capture lifetime with Monte Carlo simulations. Data from a
boron-loaded plastic scintillator were acquired for comparison. We also present
a pulse-shape discrimination method for differentiating between electronic and
nuclear recoil events based on the Matusita distance between a normalized
observed waveform and nuclear and electronic recoil template waveforms. The
details of the measurements are discussed along with specifics of the data
analysis and its comparison with the Monte Carlo simulation