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Sidelnik, I., H. Asorey, N. Guarin, M. S. Durán, F. A. Bessia, L. H. Arnaldi, M. G. Berisso, J. Lipovetzky, M. Pérez, M. S. Haro et al. "Neutron detection capabilities of Water Cherenkov Detectors." Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment 952 (2020): 161962.
Abstract: In this work we show the neutron detection capabilities of a water Cherenkov detector (WCD). The experiments presented here were performed using a simple WCD with a single photomultiplier tube (PMT) and a 252Cf neutron source. We compared the use of pure water and water with non contaminant additive as the detection volume. We show that fast neutrons from the 252Cf source can be detected over the flux of atmospheric particles background. Our first estimation for the neutron detection efficiency is at the level of (19)% for pure water and (44)% for the water with the additive. We also present the simulation of the response of the WCD to neutrons using a simulated 252Cf source. We implemented a detailed model of the WCD and of the neutron source spectra using Geant 4. The results of our simulations show the detailed mechanism for the detection of neutrons using WCD and support the experimental evidences presented. Since both active volumes studied, H2O pure and with additive, are cheap, non-toxic and easily accessible materials, the results obtained are of interest for the development of large neutron detectors for different applications. Of special importance are those related with space weather phenomena as well as those for the detection of special nuclear materials. We conclude that WCD used as neutron detectors can be a complementary tool for standard neutron monitors based on 3He.
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Sidelnik, I., H. Asorey, N. Guarín, M. S. Durán, M. G. Berisso, J. Lipovetzky, and J. J. Blostein. "Simulation of 500 MeV neutrons by using NaCl doped Water Cherenkov detector." Advances in Space Research 65, no. 9 (2020): 2216.
Abstract: In this work we show the capabilities of a water Cherenkov detector (WCD) to detect high energy neutrons. We present the simulation of the response of a doped WCD to 500 MeV monochromatic neutrons using Geant4. To do this, a detailed model of the WCD has been implemented. The active volume of the detector is composed of pure water and different concentrations of a Cl based additive. The addition of this dopant shows an enhancement in the detection of high energetic neutrons. The sensitivity of this detector to neutrons achieved in our simulations is a relevant result for cosmic rays and space weather studies.
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Pérez, M., J. J. Blostein, F. A. Bessia, A. Tartaglione, I. Sidelnik, M. S. Haro, S. Suárez, M. L. Gimenez, M. G. Berisso, and J. Lipovetzky. "Thermal neutron detector based on COTS CMOS imagers and a conversion layer containing Gadolinium." Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment 893 (2018): 157–163.
Abstract: In this work we will introduce a novel low cost position sensitive thermal neutron detection technique, based on a Commercial Off The Shelf CMOS image sensor covered with a Gadolinium containing conversion layer. The feasibility of the neutron detection technique implemented in this work has been experimentally demonstrated. A thermal neutron detection efficiency of 11.3% has been experimentally obtained with a conversion layer of 11.6 μm. It was experimentally verified that the thermal neutron detection efficiency of this technique is independent on the intensity of the incident thermal neutron flux, which was confirmed for conversion layers of different thicknesses. Based on the experimental results, a spatial resolution better than 25 μm is expected. This spatial resolution makes the proposed technique specially useful for neutron beam characterization, neutron beam dosimetry, high resolution neutron imaging, and several neutron scattering techniques.
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