Energy-resolved neutron imaging at a pulsed source utilizes the energy-dependent neutron transmission measured via time-of-flight to extract quantitative information about the internal microstructure of an object. At the RADEN instrument at J-PARC in Japan, we use cutting-edge detectors employing micro-pattern detectors or fast Li-glass scintillators and fast, all-digital data acquisition to perform such measurements, while continuing their development toward better utilization of the intense neutron source. In particular, for the Micro-Pixel Chamber based Neutron Imaging Detector ({\mu}NID), a micro-pattern detector with a 400 {\mu}m pitch and employing 3He for neutron conversion, we have successfully improved the spatial resolution from 200 to 100 {\mu}m, increased the detection efficiency from 18 to 26% for thermal neutrons, and increased the maximum count rate from 0.4 to 1 Mcps. We are also testing a new readout element with a 215 {\mu}m pitch for further improved spatial resolution, and a {\mu}NID with boron-based neutron converter for increased rate performance.
@article{arxiv.1806.09752,
title = {Development of energy-resolved neutron imaging detectors at RADEN},
author = {Joseph Don Parker and Masahide Harada and Hirotoshi Hayashida and Kosuke Hiroi and Tetsuya Kai and Yoshihiro Matsumoto and Takeshi Nakatani and Kenichi Oikawa and Mariko Segawa and Takenao Shinohara and Yuhua Su and Atsushi Takada and Taito Takemura and Tomoyuki Taniguchi and Toru Tanimori and Yoshiaki Kiyanagi},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1806.09752},
year = {2018}
}
Comments
8 pages, 5 figures; accepted to Proceedings of International Conference on Neutron Optics 2017, Nara, Japan (JPS Conference Proceedings)