A new compact neutron/gamma ray scintillation detector

Abstract

Progress towards the realization of a new compact neutron spectrometer is described. The detector is based on EJ299-33 plastic scintillator coupled to silicon photomultipliers, and a digital implementation of pulse shape discrimination is used to separate events associated with neutrons from those associated with gamma rays. The spectrometer will be suitable over the neutron energy range 1–100 MeV, illustrated in this work with measurements made using an AmBe radioisotopic source and quasi-monoenergetic neutron beams produced using a cyclotron.