IMPROVING A MULTICELLULAR TISSUE-EQUIVALENT PROPORTIONAL COUNTER FOR PERSONAL NEUTRON DOSIMETRY

Former papers described the main theoretical characteristics of the multicellular TEPC and showed the results obtained with the first prototype. Since these experiments, the geometry has been improved to reduce the size of the detector (compatibility with an individual dosemeter). Guard rings have been added to decrease the experimental threshold. The present report deals with these improvements. The lineal energy threshold is 1 keV.mu m(-1). Dose equivalent and quality factor measurements have been performed for monoenergetic neutrons in the range of 144 keV up to 2.5 MeV, and for broad neutron energy spectra such as a Pu-Be source and the held of a research fission reactor. The efficiency of the geometry improvements and the response are discussed with respect to the shape of the measured microdosimetric spectra.