Neutron camera employing row and column summations

Abstract

For each photomultiplier tube in an Anger camera, an R×S array of preamplifiers is provided to detect electrons generated within the photomultiplier tube. The outputs of the preamplifiers are digitized to measure the magnitude of the signals from each preamplifier. For each photomultiplier tube, a corresponding summation circuitry including R row summation circuits and S column summation circuits numerically add the magnitudes of the signals from preamplifiers for each row and for each column to generate histograms. For a P×Q array of photomultiplier tubes, P×Q summation circuitries generate P×Q row histograms including R entries and P×Q column histograms including S entries. The total set of histograms include P×Q×(R+S) entries, which can be analyzed by a position calculation circuit to determine the locations of events (detection of a neutron).