A charge-collection method for measurements of pulsed fast-neutron flux

A charge-collection method for measuring the flux of pulsed fast neutrons in current mode has been developed, which is based on the well-known recoil-proton method combined with ion-induced secondary electron emission from solid surfaces. The detection unit consists of four elements: an n-p converter, an absorber, a collector, and a rear insulator. The assembly does not require vacuum for operation. Recoil protons from the n-p converter and the secondary electrons induced by the passing protons on the interface of the absorber and the collector contribute to the detector output signal. By properly choosing the materials and the combination of the absorber and the collector, the fraction of secondary electrons in the output signal can be determined experimentally. This detection concept allows one to design a medium type of fast-neutron detector for measurements of extremely intense pulsed neutron flux with a number of advantages over the existing systems. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.