Thermal neutron flux monitors based on vibrating wire

Abstract

Two types of neutron monitors with fine spatial resolutions are proposed based on vibrating wires. In the first type, neutrons interact with a vibrating wire, heat it, and lead to the change of its natural frequency, which can be precisely measured. To increase the heat deposition during the neutron scattering, the use of gadolinium layer that has the highest thermal neutron capture cross-section among all elements is proposed. The second type uses the vibrating wire as a "resonant target." Besides the measurement of beam profile according to the average signal, the differential signal synchronized with the wire oscillations defines the beam profile gradient. The monitor's spatial resolution is defined by the wire's diameter.