We present a detailed study of the spatial resolution of our time-resolved neutron imaging detector utilizing a new neutron position reconstruction method that improves both spatial resolution and event reconstruction efficiency. Our prototype detector system, employing a micro-pattern gaseous detector known as the micro-pixel chamber ({\mu}PIC) coupled with a field-programmable-gate-array-based data acquisition system, combines 100{\mu}m-level spatial and sub-{\mu}s time resolutions with excellent gamma rejection and high data rates, making it well suited for applications in neutron radiography at high-intensity, pulsed neutron sources. From data taken at the Materials and Life Science Experimental Facility within the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC), the spatial resolution was found to be approximately Gaussian with a sigma of 103.48 +/- 0.77 {\mu}m (after correcting for beam divergence). This is a significant improvement over that achievable with our previous reconstruction method (334 +/- 13 {\mu}m), and compares well with conventional neutron imaging detectors and with other high-rate detectors currently under development. Further, a detector simulation indicates that a spatial resolution of less than 60 {\mu}m may be possible with optimization of the gas characteristics and {\mu}PIC structure. We also present an example of imaging combined with neutron resonance absorption spectroscopy.
@article{arxiv.1305.3687,
title = {Spatial resolution of a {\mu}PIC-based neutron imaging detector},
author = {Joseph D. Parker and Masahide Harada and Kaori Hattori and Satoru Iwaki and Shigeto Kabuki and Yuji Kishimoto and Hidetoshi Kubo and Shunsuke Kurosawa and Yoshihiro Matsuoka and Kentaro Miuchi and Tetsuya Mizumoto and Hironobu Nishimura and Takayuki Oku and Tatsuya Sawano and Takenao Shinohara and Jun-ichi Suzuki and Atsushi Takada and Toru Tanimori and Kazuki Ueno},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1305.3687},
year = {2013}
}
Comments
8 pages, 8 figures, submitted to Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A