Neutron backscatter instrument
AssigneeJohnson Matthey Public Limited Company
InventorsThomas John Partington, Peter Jackson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed is an instrument for detecting neutron backscatter from an object including a source of neutrons (12), a neutron detector (14) capable of detecting thermal neutrons and a housing (10) which is impervious to water and having at least one external operating surface (20) for placing adjacent the object, the source and detector being located within the housing in such a way that the distance between the detector and the operating surface(s) is less than 25 mm and the distance between the detector and any other external surface of the housing is at least 50 mm.
Claims21
1-16. (canceled)
An instrument for detecting neutron backscatter from an object comprising a source of neutrons, a neutron detector capable of detecting thermal neutrons and a housing which is impervious to water and having at least one external operating surface for placing adjacent said object, said source and detector being located within the housing in such a way that the distance between the detector and any external surface of the housing except the operating surface is at least 50 mm, wherein said housing is essentially free of hydrogen-containing material.
A method of gathering information about an object comprising the steps of performing a neutron backscatter measurement using an instrument and using the number of thermal neutrons counted by the detector to provide the required information about the object, wherein said instrument is an instrument for detecting neutron backscatter from an object and comprises
- a. a source of neutrons,
- b. a neutron detector capable of detecting thermal neutrons and
- c. a housing which is impervious to water, is essentially free of hydrogen-containing material and having at least one external operating surface for placing adjacent said object,
- said source and detector being located within the housing in such a way that the distance between the detector and any external surface of the housing except the operating surface is at least 50 mm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.