A novel method to measure low flux ambient thermal neutrons with He-3 proportional counters

作者：Zeng, Z. M.^*; Gong, H.; Yue, Q.; Li, J. M.

来源：Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment , 2017, 866: 242-247.

DOI：10.1016/j.nima.2017.04.009

• Double-pulse effect
• PSD
• Underground laboratory
• Low background neutron
• He-3 proportional tube

A pulse shape discrimination method to discriminate neutron events from backgrounds based on the double-pulse effect of He-3 proportional counters is proposed and detailed in this paper. We made an ambient thermal neutron measurement system composed of a commercial He-3 proportional counter tube and the corresponding readout electronics. The background of the system has been measured and the minimum detectable amount of the He-3 proportional counter tube will be reduced by an order of magnitude with this method. The system was applied to measure the ambient thermal neutron flux inside a large neutron shielding structure at a deep underground laboratory and the pulse shape discrimination method proves to be effective.

• 出版日期2017-9-11
• 单位清华大学