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We discuss a test campaign designed to irradiate the 7 Li-enriched Cs 2 LiYCl 6 :Ce 3+ (CLYC-7) scintillator with 6–60 MeV neutrons using the cyclotron located at the Crocker Nuclear Laboratory in Davis, CA. CLYC-7 is a newly developed scintillator that exhibits the ability to make good γ-ray measurements and has the ability to detect and discriminate fast neutrons via pulse shape discrimination (PSD) while functioning as a spectrometer. This allows a single detector to make good measurement of both stimuli simultaneously. The response of this scintillation detector has been investigated below 20 MeV [1] but has yet to be explored for energies greater than 20 MeV. Understanding the spectral and pulse shape response across a broad energy range is important for any radiation detection instrumentation capable of detecting multiple species. At the highest energies sampled, the CLYC-7 PSD demonstrated not only the standard electron/proton separation expected in a mixed γ/ n field but the ability to discriminate locally produced deuterons, tritons and α particles. We show the results from the four different neutron beam energies sampled during the experiment. Lastly, we present the results obtained for relating the light output equivalence between electrons and protons/deuterons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work discusses a test campaign to characterize the response of the recently developed plastic scintillator with pulse shape discrimination (PSD) capabilities (EJ-299-33). PSD is a property exhibited by certain types of scintillating material in which incident stimuli (fast neutrons or γ rays) can be separated by exploiting differences in the scintillation light pulse tail. Detector geometries used were: a 10 cm×10 cm×10 cm cube and a 10-cm diameter×10-cm long cylinder. EJ-301 and EJ-309 liquid scintillators with well-known responses were also tested. The work was conducted at the University of Massachusetts Lowell Van De Graaff accelerator. The facility accelerated protons on a thin Li target to yield quasi-monoenergetic neutrons from the 7 Li( p , n ) 7 Be reaction ( Q -value: –1.644 MeV). Collimated fast neutrons were obtained by placing detectors behind a neutron spectrometer. Rotating the spectrometer, and thus changing the neutron energy, allowed us to achieve 0.5–3.2 MeV neutrons in 200–300 keV steps. Data were acquired through a flash analog-to-digital converter (ADC) capable of performing digital PSD measurements. By using the PSD technique to separate the neutron events from unwanted γ background, we constructed a pulse height spectrum at each energy. Obtaining a relationship of the relative light output versus energy allowed us to construct the response function for the EJ-299-33 and liquid scintillator. The EJ-299-33 response in terms of electron equivalent energy ( E e.e. ) vs. proton equivalent energy ( E p.e. ), how it compared with the standard xylene-based EJ-301 (or, NE-213/BC-501 A equivalent) and EJ-309 liquid scintillator response, and how the EJ-301 and EJ-309 compared, are presented. We find that the EJ-299-33 demonstrated a lower light output by up to 40% for <1.0 MeV neutrons; and ranging between a 5–35% reduction for 2.5–3.0 MeV neutrons compared to the EJ-301/309, depending on the scintillator and geometry. Monte Carlo modeling techniques were used to investigate how the neutron beam and accelerator background environment affected the detector response. We find relatively good agreement between our results and the modeling; however, the observed response could not be fully accounted for due to events with pulse pile up, thus leading to contamination of the neutron PSD selected events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work discusses a large-scale, coded-aperture imager for fast neutrons, building off a proof-of concept instrument developed at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL). The Space Science Division at the NRL has a heritage of developing large-scale, mobile systems, using coded-aperture imaging, for long-range γ-ray detection and localization. The fast-neutron, coded-aperture imaging instrument, designed for a mobile unit (20 ft. ISO container), consists of a 32-element array of 15 cm×15 cm×15 cm liquid scintillation detectors (EJ-309) mounted behind a 12×12 pseudorandom coded aperture. The elements of the aperture are composed of 15 cm×15 cm×10 cm blocks of high-density polyethylene (HDPE). The arrangement of the aperture elements produces a shadow pattern on the detector array behind the mask. By measuring of the number of neutron counts per masked and unmasked detector, and with knowledge of the mask pattern, a source image can be deconvolved to obtain a 2- d location. The number of neutrons per detector was obtained by processing the fast signal from each PMT in flash digitizing electronics. Digital pulse shape discrimination (PSD) was performed to filter out the fast-neutron signal from the γ background. The prototype instrument was tested at an indoor facility at the NRL with a 1.8-μCi and 13-μCi 252Cf neutron/ γ source at three standoff distances of 9, 15 and 26 m (maximum allowed in the facility) over a 15-min integration time. The imaging and detection capabilities of the instrument were tested by moving the source in half- and one-pixel increments across the image plane. We show a representative sample of the results obtained at one-pixel increments for a standoff distance of 9 m. The 1.8-μCi source was not detected at the 26-m standoff. In order to increase the sensitivity of the instrument, we reduced the fastneutron background by shielding the top, sides and back of the detector array with 10-cm-thick HDPE. This shielding configuration led to a reduction in the background by a factor of 1.7 and thus allowed for the detection and localization of the 1.8 μCi. The detection significance for each source at different standoff distances will be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gamma-ray and neutron background surveys were performed by the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) in U.S. cities, including Washington, D.C.; Kansas City and St. Louis, Missouri; Chicago, Illinois; Richmond, Virginia; Boston, Massachusetts and Baltimore, Maryland. Measurements covered a range of industrial, residential and commercial areas. Germanium grade gamma-ray data over the energy range of 0.05–3.0 MeV and neutron count rates with unmoderated He-3 sensitivity were recorded as a function of latitude, longitude and elevation in one second intervals. Typical Potassium Uranium Thorium (KUT) backgrounds were seen along with several anomalies. For example, a decrease in the thermal neutron flux in large urban canyons was seen and verified via Monte Carlo simulations. The data were collected to provide natural background models for simulation work. Germanium grade spectroscopy is required, because it provides sufficiently detailed isotopic information of the gamma-ray background. As expected a comparison of the background shows significant differences between the individual cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work describes and shows data from a prototype instrument designed to sample transitory gamma rays resulting from stockpile stewardship testing. The required instrumentation needs to be large, sensitive, low cost, and have the ability to measure pulse widths as narrow as 5 ns (or less). The natural material for an instrument to meet these criteria is an organic scintillator. In order to cover a large area and reduce the overall cost of the detection system (material and electronics), one approach would be large pixel elements to cover an array of a few square meters. Unfortunately, this approach will not provide the accuracy required for these experiments as large volume scintillation detectors broaden the intrinsic full-width at half maximum (FWHM) of the scintillation light pulse due to delays introduced by internal reflections within the scintillator volume. We devised an approach to mitigate these broadening effects from large volume detectors, while remaining at a low cost. Our detectors consist of a bundle of extruded plastic scintillation bars, readout by wavelength shifting fibers that pipe the scintillation light to a fast light readout device. In this paper we describe the detector unit and assembly procedure, the fast photomultiplier tube (PMT) and readout electronics, as well as data from the laboratory with a radioactive source and cosmic-ray muons. Additionally, we show results from a detector unit tested at the NRL Mercury pulsed power facility. The concluding section discusses the path forward for this instrument and possible improvements for a field-deployable system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]