The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 25, 2001
Filed:
May. 01, 2000
James E. Stewart, Los Alamos, NM (US);
Merlyn S. Krick, Los Alamos, NM (US);
Steven C. Bourret, Los Alamos, NM (US);
Martin R. Sweet, Los Alamos, NM (US);
Other;
Abstract
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for improving the precision of at least one of neutron coincidence counting and neutron multiplicity counting. The method includes the steps of: (1) sampling the real and accidental coincident pulses at the incoming pulse rate; and (b) sampling the accidental coincidences at a clock rate, wherein the clock rate is much faster than the pulse rate. The clock rate is faster than the pulse rate by a factor of 5 to 10 (in the preferred embodiment, approximately 4 MHz). The apparatus for improving the precision of neutron coincidence counting includes: (a) a shift register; (b) an up-down counter coupled to the shift register; (c) an R+A accumulator coupled to the up-down counter; (d) an A accumulator coupled to the up-down counter; (e) a strobe, the strobe coupled to the R+A accumulator but not to the A accumulator; (f) a clock, the clock coupled to the A accumulator but not to the R+A accumulator, the clock having a rate which is much faster than the pulse rate; and (g) apparatus for reconciling the independent counting of the A accumulator with that of the R+A accumulator. For improving the precision of multiplicity counting the apparatus includes an R+A multiplicity accumulator and an A multiplicity accumulator, The R+A multiplicity accumulator is connected to the up-down counter and the strobe, but not to the clock. The A multiplicity accumulator is coupled to the up-down counter and the clock, but not to the strobe. The clock rate is faster than the pulse rate by a factor of 5-10 (in the preferred embodiment, approximately, 4 MHz). The apparatus also includes apparatus for accumulating the total number of pulses, which is coupled to the strobe and the reconciling apparatus.