Neutron spectrometer
AssigneeMerrill Corporation
InventorsDavid M. Slaughter, Reinhard M. Klaass
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Abstract
A neutron spectrometer that is more accurate, faster, and more-portable than conventional spectrometers includes an organic scintillator responsive to neutrons and gammas and an inorganic scintillator that captures neutrons. A processor receives signals representative of scintillations in the organic scintillator and in the inorganic scintillator and discriminates neutron signals from gamma signals. The processor also determines pulse areas for neutron moderating signals and performs unfolding based on the determined pulse areas to produce a neutron energy spectrum and/or dose information.
Claims25
A neutron spectrometer, comprising:
- an organic scintillator responsive to neutrons and gammas;
- an inorganic scintillator that captures neutrons;
- a processor which
- (1) receives signals representative of scintillations in the organic scintillator and in the inorganic scintillator and discriminates neutron signals from gamma signals;
- (2) determines pulse areas for neutron moderating signals;
- (3) determines measured counts at different pulse areas;
- (4) receives a calibrated response matrix comprising the distribution of moderating pulse areas in neutron enemy bins detected from the organic scintillator as input;
- and
- (5) performs unfolding of the measured counts based on the calibrated response matrix, the received signals, and a default spectrum to produce a neutron energy spectrum.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.