We have developed a prototype time-resolved neutron imaging detector employing the micro-pixel chamber (muPIC), a micro-pattern gaseous detector, coupled with a field programmable gate array-based data acquisition system for applications in neutron radiography at high-intensity neutron sources. The prototype system, with an active area of 10cm x 10cm and operated at a gas pressure of 2 atm, measures both the energy deposition (via time-over-threshold) and 3-dimensional track of each neutron-induced event, allowing the reconstruction of the neutron interaction point with improved accuracy. Using a simple position reconstruction algorithm, a spatial resolution of 349 +/- 36 microns was achieved, with further improvement expected. The detailed tracking allows strong rejection of background gamma-rays, resulting in an effective gamma sensitivity of 10^-12 or less, coupled with stable, robust neutron identification. The detector also features a time resolution of 0.6 microseconds.
@article{arxiv.1209.5856,
title = {Neutron imaging detector based on the muPIC micro-pixel chamber},
author = {J. D. Parker and K. Hattori and H. Fujioka and M. Harada and S. Iwaki and S. Kabuki and Y. Kishimoto and H. Kubo and S. Kurosawa and K. Miuchi and T. Nagae and H. Nishimura and T. Oku and T. Sawano and T. Shinohara and J. Suzuki and A. Takada and T. Tanimori and K. Ueno},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1209.5856},
year = {2012}
}
Comments
10 pages, 13 figures; accepted for publication in NIMA