Calibration and Testing of a Large-Area Fast-Neutron Directional Detector.

We have developed a new directional fast-neutron detector based on double proton recoil in two separated planes of plastic scintillators with position-sensitive readout. This method allows the energy spectrum of the neutrons to be measured by a combination of peak amplitude in the first plane and time of flight to the second plane. The planes are made up of 1-m long, 10-cm high paddles with photomultipliers at both ends, so that the location of an event along the paddle can be estimated from the time delay between the optical pulses detected at the two ends. The direction of the scattered neutron can be estimated from the locations of two time-correlated events in the two planes, and the energy lost in the first scattering event can be estimated from the pulse amplitude in the first plane. The direction of the incident neutron can then be determined to lie on a cone whose angle is determined by the kinematic equations. The superposition of many such cones generates an image that indicates the presence of a localized source. Setting upper and lower limits on the time of flight allows discrimination between gamma rays, muons and neutrons. Monte Carlo simulations were performed to determine the expected angular resolution and efficiency. These models show that the lower energy limit for useful directional events is about 100 keV, because lower energy neutrons are likely to scatter more than once in the first plane. Placing a shadow bar in front of the detector provides an alternative way to obtain the direction to a point source, which may require fewer events. This method also can provide dual capability as a directional gamma detector

Design of a Large-Area Fast Neutron Directional Detector.

A large-area fast-neutron double-scatter directional detector and spectrometer is being constructed using l-meter-long plastic scintillator paddles with photomultiplier tubes at both ends. The scintillators detect fast neutrons by proton recoil and also gamma rays by Compton scattering. The paddles are arranged in two parallel planes so that neutrons can be distinguished from muons and gamma rays by time of flight between the planes. The signal pulses are digitized with a time resolution of one gigasample per second. The location of an event along each paddle can be determined from the relative amplitudes or timing of the signals at the ends. The angle of deflection of a neutron in the first plane can be estimated from the energy deposited by the recoil proton, combined with the scattered neutron time-of-flight energy. Each scattering angle can be back-projected as a cone, and many intersecting cones define the incident neutron direction from a distant point source. Moreover, the total energy of each neutron can be obtained, allowing some regions of a fission source spectrum to be distinguished from background generated by cosmic rays. Monte Carlo calculations will be compared with measurements

Directional Detection of Fission-Spectrum Neutrons.

Conventional neutron detectors consisting of {sup 3}He tubes surrounded by a plastic moderator can be quite efficient in detecting fission spectrum neutrons, but do not indicate the direction of the incident radiation. We have developed a new directional detector based on double proton recoil in two separated planes of plastic scintillators. This method allows the spectrum of the neutrons to be measured by a combination of peak amplitude in the first plane and time of flight to the second plane. It also allows the determination of the angle of scattering in the first plane. If the planes are position-sensitive detectors, then the direction of the scattered neutron is known, and the direction of the incident neutron can be determined to lie on a cone of s fixed angle. The superposition of many such cones generates an image that indicates the presence of a localized source. Typical background neutron fluences from the interaction of cosmic rays with the atmosphere are low and fairly uniformly distributed in angle. Directional detection helps to locate a manmade source in the presence of natural background. Monte Carlo simulations are compared with experimental results

Thermal neutron imaging support with other laboratories BL06-IM-TNI

The goals of this project are: (1) detect and locate a source of thermal neutrons; (2) distinguish a localized source from uniform background; (3) show shape and size of thermalizing material; (4) test thermal neutron imager in active interrogation environment; and (5) distinguish delayed neutrons from prompt neutrons

Deposition of tantalum carbide coatings on graphite by laser interactions

Graphite surfaces can be hardened and protected from erosion by hydrogen at high temperatures by refractory metal carbide coatings, which are usually prepared by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or chemical vapor reaction (CVR) methods. These techniques rely on heating the substrate to a temperature where a volatile metal halide decomposes and reacts with either a hydrocarbon gas or with carbon from the substrate. For CVR techniques, deposition temperatures must be in excess of 2000 C in order to achieve favorable deposition kinetics. In an effort to lower the bulk substrate deposition temperature, the use of laser interactions with both the substrate and the metal halide deposition gas has been employed. Initial testing involved the use of a CO2 laser to heat the surface of a graphite substrate and a KrF excimer laser to accomplish a photodecomposition of TaCl5 gas near the substrate. The results of preliminary experiments using these techniques are described

Adaptation of a neutron diffraction detector to coded aperture imaging

A coded aperture neutron imaging system developed at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) has demonstrated that it is possible to record not only a flux of thermal neutrons at some position, but also the directions from whence they came. This realization of an idea which defied the conventional wisdom has provided a device which has never before been available to the nuclear physics community. A number of potential applications have been explored, including (1) counting warheads on a bus or in a storage area, (2) investigating inhomogeneities in drums of Pu-containing waste to facilitate non-destructive assays, (3) monitoring of vaults containing accountable materials, (4) detection of buried land mines, and (5) locating solid deposits of nuclear material held up in gaseous diffusion plants

Directional Detection of a Neutron Source.

Advantages afforded by the development of new directional neutron detectors and imagers are discussed. Thermal neutrons have mean free paths in air of about 20 meters, and can be effectively imaged using coded apertures. Fission spectrum neutrons have ranges greater than 100 meters, and carry enough energy to scatter at least twice in multilayer detectors which can yield both directional and spectral information. Such strategies allow better discrimination between a localized spontaneous fission source and the low, but fluctuating, level of background neutrons generated by cosmic rays. A coded aperture thermal neutron imager will be discussed as well as a proton-recoil double-scatter fast-neutron directional detector with time-of-flight energy discrimination

Xenon Gamma Detector Project Support

This project provided funding of $48,500 for part of one year to support the development of compressed xenon spectrometers at BNL. This report describes upgrades that were made to the existing detector system electronics during that period, as well as subsequent testing with check sources and Special Nuclear Materials. Previous testing of the equipment extended only up to the energy of 1.3 MeV, and did not include a spectrum of Pu-239. The new electronics allowed one-button activation of the high voltage ramp that was previously controlled by manual adjustments. Mechanical relays of the charging circuit were replaced by a tera-ohm resistor chain and an optical switch. The preamplifier and shaping amplifier were replaced by more modern custom designs. We found that the xenon purity had not been degraded since the chamber was filled 10 years earlier. The resulting spectra showed significantly better resolution than sodium iodide spectra, and could be analyzed quite effectively by methods using peak area templates

Non-Destructive Probing of Rabi Oscillations on the Cesium Clock Transition near the Standard Quantum Limit

We report on non-destructive observation of Rabi oscillations on the Cs clock transition. The internal atomic state evolution of a dipole-trapped ensemble of cold atoms is inferred from the phase shift of a probe laser beam as measured using a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. We describe a single color as well as a two-color probing scheme. Using the latter, measurements of the collective pseudo-spin projection of atoms in a superposition of the clock states are performed and the observed spin fluctuations are shown to be close to the standard quantum limit.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in Physical Review Letter

Laser frequency stabilization to a single ion

A fundamental limit to the stability of a single-ion optical frequency standard is set by quantum noise in the measurement of the internal state of the ion. We discuss how the interrogation sequence and the processing of the atomic resonance signal can be optimized in order to obtain the highest possible stability under realistic experimental conditions. A servo algorithm is presented that stabilizes a laser frequency to the single-ion signal and that eliminates errors due to laser frequency drift. Numerical simulations of the servo characteristics are compared to experimental data from a frequency comparison of two single-ion standards based on a transition at 688 THz in 171Yb+. Experimentally, an instability sigma_y(100 s)=9*10^{-16} is obtained in the frequency difference between both standards.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures, submitted to J. Phys.