Ut-Battelle, Inc.

Ronald G Cooper

Richard A Riedel

Lloyd G Clonts

Alan L Wintenberg

Jason P Hodges

Bruce W Hannan

M Lowell Crow, Jr

Morris Lowell Crow, Jr

John D Richards

Provided are sensors and methods for detecting thermal neutrons. Provided is an apparatus having a scintillator for absorbing a neutron, the scintillator having a back side for discharging a scintillation light of a first wavelength in response to the absorbed neutron, an array of wavelength-shifting fibers proximate to the back side of the scintillator for shifting the scintillation light of the first wavelength to light of a second wavelength, the wavelength-shifting fibers being disposed in a two-dimensional pattern and defining a plurality of scattering plane pixels where the wavelength-shifting fibers overlap, a plurality of photomultiplier tubes, in coded optical communication with the wavelength-shifting fibers, for converting the light of the second wavelength to an electronic signal, and a processor for processing the electronic signal to identify one of the plurality of scattering plane pixels as indicative of a position within the scintillator where the neutron was absorbed.

Shifting scintillator neutron detector

A preamplifier circuit for processing a signal provided by a radiation detector includes a transimpedance amplifier coupled to receive a current signal from a detector and generate a voltage signal at its output. A second amplification stage has an input coupled to an output of the transimpedance amplifier for providing an amplified voltage signal. Detector electronics include a preamplifier circuit having a first and second transimpedance amplifier coupled to receive a current signal from a first and second location on a detector, respectively, and generate a first and second voltage signal at respective outputs. A second amplification stage has an input coupled to an output of the transimpedance amplifiers for amplifying the first and said second voltage signals to provide first and second amplified voltage signals. A differential output stage is coupled to the second amplification stage for receiving the first and second amplified voltage signals and providing a pair of outputs from each of the first and second amplified voltage signals. Read out circuitry has an input coupled to receive both of the pair of outputs, the read out circuitry having structure for processing each of the pair of outputs, and providing a single digital output having a time-stamp therefrom.

Radiation detection system

High speed preamplifier circuit, detection electronics, and radiation detection systems therefrom

Composite scintillator material consisting of a binderless sintered mixture of a Lithium (Li) compound containingLi as the neutron converter and YSiO:Ce as the scintillation phosphor, and the use of this material as a method for neutron detection. Other embodiments of the invention include various other Li compounds.

Binderless composite scintillator for neutron detection

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Oak Ridge, TN, United States of America

Ronald G Cooper