Neutron detection using a water Cherenkov detector with pure water and a single PMT
2017
Abstract We present the performance of a novel
neutrondetector based on a water
Cherenkov detector(WCD) employing pure water and a single photomultiplier tube (PMT). The experiments presented in this work were performed using 241 AmBe and 252 Cf
neutronsources in different
neutron moderatorand shielding configurations. We show that fast
neutronsfrom the 241 AmBe and 241 Cf sources, as well as thermal
neutronsfrom a
neutron moderator, despite having different spectral characteristics, produce essentially the same pulse histogram shape. This characteristic pulse-height histogram shapes are recorded as a clear signature of
neutronswith energies lower than ≃ 11 MeV . This is verified in different experimental conditions. Our estimation of the
neutron detectionefficiency is at the level of (15±5)%, for fast
neutrons. Since water is the material employed as active volume, the results of this study are of interest for the construction of low cost and large active volume
neutrondetectors for various applications. Of special importance are those related with
space weatherphenomena monitoring as well as those for the detection of
fissile
special nuclear material, including uranium or plutonium.
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