Pulse-shaping method for real-time neutron/gamma discrimination at low sampling rates

The Na I:Tl scintillator is an innovative material for dual-gamma-ray and neutron detection with a low ^(6)Li concentration.To achieve real-time n/γ discrimination,a zero-crossing time comparison algorithm based on trapezoidal pulse shaping was developed.The algorithm can operate efficiently at low sampling rates and was implemented on a single-probe portable digital n/γ discriminator based on a field-programmable gate array.The discriminator and Na I:Tl,^(6)Li detector were tested in a neutron-gamma mixed field produced by an ^(241)Am-Be neutron source to evaluate the performance of the algorithm.The figure of merits was measured as 2.88 at a sampling rate of 50 MHz,indicating that the discriminator with its embedded algorithm has a promising n/γ discrimination capability.Efficient discrimination at sampling rates of 40 and 25 MHz demonstrates that the capability of this method is not limited by low sampling rates.

Anti-noise performance of the pulse coupled neural network applied in discrimination of neutron and gamma-ray

In this study,the anti-noise performance of a pulse-coupled neural network(PCNN)was investigated in the neutron and gamma-ray(n-γ)discrimination field.The experiments were conducted in two groups.In the first group,radiation pulse signals were pre-processed using a Fourier filter to reduce the original noise in the signals,whereas in the second group,the original noise was left untouched to simulate an extremely high-noise scenario.For each part,artificial Gaussian noise with different intensity levels was added to the signals prior to the discrimination process.In the aforementioned conditions,the performance of the PCNN was evaluated and compared with five other commonly used methods of n-γdiscrimination:(1)zero crossing,(2)charge comparison,(3)vector projection,(4)falling edge percentage slope,and(5)frequency gradient analysis.The experimental results showed that the PCNN method significantly outperforms other methods with outstanding FoM-value at all noise levels.Furthermore,the fluctuations in FoM-value of PCNN were significantly better than those obtained via other methods at most noise levels and only slightly worse than those obtained via the charge comparison and zerocrossing methods under extreme noise conditions.Additionally,the changing patterns and fluctuations of the FoMvalue were evaluated under different noise conditions.Hence,based on the results,the parameter selection strategy of the PCNN was presented.In conclusion,the PCNN method is suitable for use in high-noise application scenarios for n-γdiscrimination because of its stability and remarkable discrimination performance.It does not rely on strict parameter settings and can realize satisfactory performance over a wide parameter range.

Fast pulse sampling module for real-time neutron–gamma discrimination

An adaptable and compact fast pulse sampling module was developed for the neutron–gamma discrimination. The developed module is well suited for low-cost and low-power consumption applications. It is based on the Domino Ring Sampler 4(DRS4) chip, which offers fast sampling speeds up to 5.12 giga samples per second(GSPS) to digitize pulses from front-end detectors. The high-resolution GSPS data is useful for obtaining precise real-time neutron–gamma discrimination results directly in this module. In this study, we have implemented real-time data analysis in a field programmable gate array. Real-time data analysis involves two aspects: digital waveform integral and digital pulse shape discrimination(PSD). It can significantly reduce the system dead time and data rate processed offline. Plastic scintillators(EJ-299-33), which have proven capable of PSD, were adopted as neutron detectors in the experiments. A photomultiplier tube(PMT)(model #XP2020) was coupled to one end of a detector to collect the output light from it. The pulse output from the anode of the PMT was directly passed onto the fast sampling module. The fast pulse sampling module was operated at 1 GSPS and 2 GSPS in these experiments, and the AmBe-241 source was used to examine the neutron–gamma discrimination quality. The PSD results with different sampling rates and energy thresholds were evaluated. The figure of merit(FOM) was used to describe the neutron–gamma discrimination quality. The best FOM value of 0.91 was obtained at 2 GSPS and 1 GSPS sampling rates with an energy threshold of 1.5 MeV_(ee)(electron equivalent).

Revise Thermal Winds of Remnant Neutron Stars in Gamma-Ray Bursts

It seems that the wealth of information revealed by the multi-messenger observations of the binary neutron star(NS)merger event,GW170817/GRB 170817A/kilonova AT2017gfo,places irreconcilable constraints to models of the prompt emission of this gamma-ray burst(GRB).The observed time delay between the merger of the two NSs and the trigger of the GRB and the thermal tail of the prompt emission can hardly be reproduced by these models simultaneously.We argue that the merger remnant should be an NS(last for,at least,a large fraction of 1 s),and that the difficulty can be alleviated by the delayed formation of the accretion disk due to the absorption of high-energy neutrinos emitted by the NS and the delayed emergence of effective viscosity in the disk.Further,we extend the consideration of the effect of the energy deposition of neutrinos emitted from the NS.If the NS is the central object of a GRB with a distance and duration similar to that of GRB 170817A,thermal emission of the thermal bubble inflated by the NS after the termination of accretion may be detectable.If our scenario is verified,it would be of interest to investigate the cooling of nascent NSs.

Conceptual design of a Cs2LiLaBr6 scintillator‑based neutron total cross section spectrometer on the back‑n beam line at CSNS

To reduce the experimental uncertainty in the 235 U resonance energy region and improve the detection efficiency for neutron total cross section measurements compared with those obtained with the neutron total cross section spectrometer(NTOX), a dedicated lithium-containing scintillation detector has been developed on the Back-n beam line at the China Spallation Neutron Source. The Fast Scintillator-based Neutron Total Cross Section(FAST) spectrometer has been designed based on a Cs2Li La Br6(CLLB) scintillator considering the γ-ray flash and neutron environment on the Back-n beam line. The response of the CLLB scintillator to neutrons and γ-rays was evaluated with different 6Li/7 Li abundance ratios using Geant4. The neutron-γdiscrimination performance of the CLLB has been simulated considering different scintillation parameters, physical designs,and light readout modes. A cubic 6Li-enriched( > 90%) CLLB scintillator, which has a thickness of 4-9 mm and side length of no less than 50 mm to cover the Φ 50 mm neutron beam at the spectrometer position, has been proposed coupling to a side readout SiPM array to construct the FAST spectrometer. The developed simulation techniques for neutron-γ discrimination performance could provide technical support for other neutron-induced reaction measurements on the Back-n beam line.

Simulation of Gamma-Ray and Neutron Spectrometers for Microsatellite Missions

Microsatellites have recently opened windows of frequent and low cost missions for planetary exploration. The performance of gamma-ray and neutron spectrometers on future microsatellite missions is simulated to assess the possibility of observation of hydrogen and major elements, given their concentration on the observation target. The measured elemental abundance will provide important geological constraints, and some of them may serve as space resources. Four different types of target bodies with various hydrogen concentrations in the range of 0 - 20,000 ppm are assumed as target compositions;Earth’s core, C-type, S-type and Martian meteorites. Gamma-ray and neutron emission rates show unique footprints that are related to the different elemental compositions. The starting point is the solid angle subtended between observation target and spectrometers that allow estimating the gamma-ray and neutron count rates emitted by the celestial bodies. In this work, three types of gamma-ray detectors;high-purity germanium (HPGe), CeBr3 and LaBr3(Ce), a neutron spectrometer combining a lithium glass scintillator with a boron loaded plastic scintillator and a dual mode spectrometer Cs2LiYCl6(Ce) (CLYC) are simulated, focusing on their observation backgrounds as a model case for microsatellite based measurements. The background count level of both gamma-ray (except for the LaBr3 detector) and neutron count rates was negligible under these particular conditions. The gamma-ray detectors were compared by the figure of merit, which was determined by their efficiency and energy resolution. It was found that each detector has unique advantages. The HPGe detector has the highest figure of merit due to its excellent energy resolution, whereas the CLYC detector is low in weight and power consumption due to its dual sensitivity to gamma-ray and neutron. The CeBr3 detector is an intermediate choice. The neutron count rates are calculated separately in three energy ranges, i.e. , thermal (<0.5 eV), epithermal (0.5 eV - 500 keV), and fast (>500 keV), as a function of the hydrogen concentration in the 0 - 20,000 ppm range. The thermal and epithermal neutron count rates are found to decrease with hydrogen concentration, while the fast neutron count rate increases with the target average atomic mass. The optimal detector should be decided by the mission restraints on mass, power consumption, and heat thermal design.

Zr^(4+)共掺对Cs_(2)LaLiBr_(6):Ce晶体的中子/伽马甄别性能的影响

中子探测技术广泛用于国土安全、核材料安全检测以及高能物理等领域,由于3He资源紧缺,近年来急需开发出能够同时甄别中子/伽马的新型闪烁晶体,Cs_(2)LaLiBr_(6):Ce(CLLB:Ce)晶体具有良好的中子/伽马甄别能力、优异的能量分辨率以及高的光输出,但其中子/伽马甄别性能有待进一步提高。本研究采用垂直布里奇曼法成功生长了Zr^(4+)共掺杂的CLLB:Ce晶体。通过不同表征手段研究了Zr^(4+)共掺杂CLLB:Ce晶体的结构和组分,结果表明Zr^(4+)成功掺入基质材料且对基质晶体结构不产生明显的影响,Zr^(4+)共掺杂后没有产生新的发光中心,紫外衰减时间约为27.0 ns,仍具有较快的荧光衰减。Zr^(4+)共掺杂CLLB:Ce晶体的品质因子(Figure of Merit,FOM)从1.2提高到1.5,表明其中子/伽马甄别能力得到改善。结合热稳定性和闪烁衰减时间,探讨了衰减时间对FOM的影响机制,Zr^(4+)共掺杂可以抑制浅电子陷阱和Vk中心,减少电子捕获和脱陷过程,使Ce^(3+)直接捕获的概率大大增加,从而表现出更快的衰减速率。本研究显示,Zr^(4+)共掺杂CLLB:Ce晶体在中子/伽马探测领域具有潜在的应用前景。

Compact lithium-glass neutron beam monitor for SANS at CSNS

A small-angle scattering neutron spectrometer for material research is under construction at the China Spallation Neutron Source. An intervening neutron beam monitor behind the sample is needed to measure the beam intensity in order to reduce the measurement uncertainty caused by beam fluctuation. Considering the mobility requirement and limited space, we proposed a compact monitor using a type of lithium-glass scintillator provided by China Building Materials Academy. Its performance was studied experimentally using ^(252)Cf and ^(60)Co sources.The neutron light yield of the selected scintillator was measured to be 5:3 × 10~3 photons/neutron. The feasibility of n-gamma discrimination using the charge comparison method was verified. By using the Geant4 toolkit, themonitor was modeled with precise physical processes including neutron tracking, scintillation, and optical photon transmission. The gamma sensitivity and detection efficiency were investigated in the simulation. It was concluded that a 0.5-mm-thick lithium-glass scintillator with natural lithium is an appropriate choice to satisfy both the neutron detection efficiency and gamma elimination requirements.

Development of Prototype Neutron Flux Monitor for ITER

The prototype neutron flux monitor consists of a high purity 235U fission chamber detector and a 'blank' detector, which is a fissile material free detector with the same dimension as the fission chamber detector to identify noise issues such as noise coming from gamma rays. The main parameters of the fission chamber assembly that have been measured in the laboratory are confirmed to approach the technological level of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) in the near future. This prototype neutron flux monitor will be further developed to become a neutron flux monitor suitable for the operation phase of D-D fusion on the ITER.

A method of monitoring gas saturation in carbon dioxide injection heavy oil reservoirs by pulsed neutron logging technology

A method is proposed to characterize the fast neutron scattering cross-section ( s f) quantitatively by the combina-tion of inelastic gamma rays and captured gamma rays, so as to realize the gas saturation evaluation of CO_(2)-injected heavy oilreservoirs based on the three-de tector pulsed neutron logging technology. Factors influencing of the evaluation effect of thismethod are analyzed and the effectiveness of this method is verified by a simulation example. By using the Monte Carlo simu-lation method and the physical model of bulk-volume rock, the relationship between s f and CO_(2) saturation is studied, and thesaturation interpretation model is established. The influences of formation temperature and pressure, heavy oil density, bore-hole fluid and reservoir methane content on the evaluation results of CO_(2) saturation are analyzed. The results show that thecharacterization of s f by the combination of secondary gamma information can eliminate the influence of formation lithology,borehole fluid and methane content are the main factors affecting the quantitative monitoring of CO_(2) saturation, and the ef-fects of formation temperature and pressure and heavy oil density are negligible. The simulation example verified the feasibilityof the method for evaluating the CO_(2) saturation of CO_(2)-injected heavy oil reservoirs.

A quark nova in the wake of a core-collapse supernova:a unifying model for long duration gamma-ray bursts and fast radio bursts

By appealing to a quark nova(QN;the explosive transition of a neutron star to a quark star) in the wake of a core-collapse supernova(CCSN) explosion of a massive star,we develop a unified model for long duration gamma-ray bursts(LGRBs) and fast radio bursts(FRBs).The time delay(years to decades)between the SN and the QN,and the fragmented nature(i.e.,millions of chunks) of the relativistic QN ejecta are key to yielding a robust LGRB engine.In our model,an LGRB light curve exhibits the interaction of the fragmented QN ejecta with turbulent(i.e.,filamentary and magnetically saturated) SN ejecta which is shaped by its interaction with an underlying pulsar wind nebula(PWN).The afterglow is due to the interaction of the QN chunks,exiting the SN ejecta,with the surrounding medium.Our model can fit BAT/XRT prompt and afterglow light curves simultaneously with their spectra,thus yielding the observed properties of LGRBs(e.g.,the Band function and the X-ray flares).We find that the peak luminositypeak photon energy relationship(i.e.,the Yonetoku law),and the isotropic energy-peak photon energy relationship(i.e.,the Amati law) are not fundamental but phenomenological.FRB-like emission in our model results from coherent synchrotron emission(CSE) when the QN chunks interact with non-turbulent weakly magnetized PWN-SN ejecta,where conditions are prone to the Weibel instability.Magnetic field amplification induced by the Weibel instability in the shocked chunk frame sets the bunching length for electrons and pairs to radiate coherently.The resulting emission frequency,luminosity and duration in our model are consistent with FRB data.We find a natural unification of high-energy burst phenomena from FRBs(i.e.,those connected to CCSNe) to LGRBs including X-ray flashes(XRFs) and X-ray rich GRBs(XRR-GRBs) as well as superluminous SNe(SLSNe).We find a possible connection between ultra-high energy cosmic rays and FRBs and propose that a QN following a binary neutron star merger can yield a short duration GRB(SGRB) with fits to BAT/XRT light curves.

Simulation Study on Constraining Gravitational Wave Propagation Speed by Gravitational Wave and Gamma-ray Burst Joint Observation on Binary Neutron Star Mergers

Theories of modified gravity suggest that the propagation speed of gravitational waves(GW)v_gmay deviate from the speed of light c.A constraint can be placed on the difference between c and v_gwith a simple method that uses the arrival time delay between GW and electromagnetic wave simultaneously emitted from a burst event.We simulated the joint observation of GW and short gamma-ray burst signals from binary neutron star merger events in different observation campaigns,involving advanced LIGO(aLIGO)in design sensitivity and Einstein Telescope(ET)joint-detected with Fermi/GBM.As a result,the relative precision of constraint on v_gcan reach~10~(-17)(aLIGO)and~10^(-18)(ET),which are one and two orders of magnitude better than that from GW170817,respectively.We continue to obtain the bound of graviton mass m_g≤7.1(3.2)×10~(-20)eV with aLIGO(ET).Applying the Standard-Model Extension test framework,the constraint on v_gallows us to study the Lorentz violation in the nondispersive,nonbirefringent limit of the gravitational sector.We obtain the constraints of the dimensionless isotropic coefficients S_(00)^(4)at mass dimension d=4,which are-1×10^(-15)<S_(00)^(4)<9×10^(-17)for aLIGO and-4×10^(-16)<s_(00)^(4<8<10^(-18))for ET.

Cylindrical Jet - Wind Interaction Model of Gamma-Ray Burst Afterglows

Observations on relativistic jets in radio galaxies, active galactic nuclei, and 'microquasars' revealed that many of these outflows are cylindrical, not conical. So it is worthwhile to investigate the evolution of cylindrical jets in gamma-ray bursts. We discuss afterglows from cylindrical jets in a wind environment. Numerical results as well as analytic solutions in some special cases are presented. Our light curves are steeper compared to those in the homogeneous interstellar medium case, carefully considered by Cheng, Huang & Lu. We conclude that some afterglows, used to be interpreted as isotropic fireballs in a wind environment, can be fitted as well by cylindrical jets interacting with a wind.

A digital wide range neutron flux measuring system for HL-2A

To achieve wide-range, high-integration, and real-time performance on the neutron flux measurement on the HL-2A tokamak, a digital neutron flux measuring（DNFM） system based on the peripheral component interconnection（PCI） e Xtension for Instrumentation express（PXIe） bus was designed.This system comprises a charge-sensitive preamplifier and a field programmable gate array（FPGA）-based main electronics plug-in. The DNFM totally covers source-range and intermediate-range neutron flux measurements, and increases system integration by a large margin through joining the pulse-counting mode and Campbell mode. Meanwhile, the neutron flux estimation method based on pulse piling proportions is able to choose and switch measuring modes in accordance with current flux, and this ensures the accuracy of measurements when the neutron flux changes suddenly. It has been demonstrated by simulated signals that the DNFM enhances the full-scale measuring range up to 1.9×10^8cm^-2s^-1, with relative error below 6.1%. The DNFM has been verified to provide a high temporal sensitivity at 10 ms time intervals on a single fission chamber on HL-2A.

Diffuse emission of TeV neutrinos and gamma-rays from young pulsars by photomeson interaction in the Galaxy

It is generally believed that young, rapidly rotating pulsars are important sites of particle acceleration, in which protons can be accelerated to relativistic energy above the polar cap region if the magnetic moment is antiparallel to the spin axis （μ·Ω 〈 0）. To obtain diffuse neutrinos and gamma-rays at TeV that originate in our Galaxy, we use the Monte Carlo method to generate a sample of young pulsars with ages less than 106 yr in our galaxy; the neutrinos and high-energy gamma-rays can be produced through a photomeson process with the interaction of energetic protons and soft X-ray photons （p ＋γ→△＋→n＋π＋/p＋π0） for a single pulsar, and these X-ray photons come from the surface of the neutron star. The results suggest that the flux of diffuse neutrinos at TeV energies is lower than the background flux, indicating they are difficult to detect using current neutrino telescopes.

n/γ双粒子反应深度探测器设计与性能表征

n/γ射线双粒子反应深度(Depth of Interaction,DOI)探测器可以实现中子与γ射线甄别并记录粒子在探测器中的反应位置,在对特殊核材料等危险放射性物质的定位成像研究中发挥着重要作用。传统的放射性定位成像装置都依赖具有n/γ射线甄别能力的探测器阵列,从而导致成像测量装置结构复杂、成本高。针对此问题,设计了一种基于EJ276塑料闪烁体(Φ3 cm×15 cm)的双粒子反应深度探测器,采用硅光电倍增管在闪烁体两端进行信号读出,并综合利用两端信号幅度与飞行时间对比进行粒子反应位置确定。利用Am-Be中子源和137Cs γ源对探测器进行参数优化和分辨率刻度,结果显示:该探测器在灵敏区内探测效率均匀性较好,反应位置分辨率约4.4 cm。

1英寸Cs_(2)LiLa(Br,Cl)_(6):Ce闪烁晶体的生长及性能

Ce^(3+)掺杂的钾冰晶石结构的卤化物闪烁晶体因具有优异的闪烁性能,得到了广泛的关注。本文采用坩埚下降法成功制备了1英寸高质量Ce^(3+)掺杂Cs_(2)Li La(Br,Cl)_(6)闪烁晶体。通过X射线衍射谱、EDS、X射线光电子谱等手段对Cs_(2)Li La(Br,Cl)_(6):Ce晶体的晶体结构和组分进行了分析,结果表明Cl-成功掺入基质材料后晶体结构未发生明显变化。光致发光荧光光谱、X射线激发发射光谱、紫外荧光衰减等结果表明,Cl-掺杂后未产生新的发光中心,紫外衰减时间约为28 ns。最后测试了晶体在137Cs@662 keV的伽马源和252Cf源下的能谱,发现晶体具有优异的能量分辨率(4.2%@662 ke V)和中子甄别性能(FOM值达到1.9),在核辐射探测领域具有巨大的应用前景。

Li掺杂浓度对NaI∶Tl,Li晶体光学和闪烁性能的影响

具有中子-伽马双模探测能力的卤化物闪烁晶体在辐射探测领域展现出广阔的应用前景。本文使用布里奇曼法生长得到高光学质量的NaI∶Tl和NaI∶Tl,Li闪烁晶体,并系统研究了不同Li浓度掺杂NaI∶Tl晶体的光致激发和发射光谱、时间分辨光致发光曲线、X射线辐照发光光谱、伽马射线激发能谱,以及中子-伽马甄别性能。研究表明,NaI∶Tl晶体和NaI∶Tl,Li晶体在X射线激发下的发光峰位于345和410 nm,均来源于Tl^(+)的sp-s^(2)跃迁发光。随着Li浓度的增加,晶体的光产额由41000 photons/MeV下降到23000 photons/MeV,662 keV处的能量分辨率由7.0%劣化到9.6%。1%Li(原子数分数)掺杂的NaI∶Tl晶体具有最优的中子-伽马脉冲形状甄别(PSD)性能,品质因子(FoM)值达到4.56。

快中子多重性测量技术研究

为应对3He短缺情况,采用更加低价、易获取的液闪来探测中子,并推广应用中子多重性技术,研制了一种基于EJ309的液闪快中子探测器,自主开发了中子伽玛甄别电路,采用电荷积分法进行中子伽玛信号甄别,并通过实验验证了该中子探测器在能量阈值为100 keVee(ee—等效能)时,中子伽玛甄别性能参数FOM(Figure of Merit)大于1;在多重性数据分析过程中,为了解决散射中子对多重性符合计数带来的影响,引入散射串扰因子对传统多重性方程进行了修正;为降低测量腔内探测效率的非均匀性对测量结果的影响,通过蒙特卡洛模拟设计了一套球形快中子多重性测量装置,并通过实验验证了其探测效率的均匀性以及测量结果的相对偏差,结果表明:其探测效率的均匀性以及测量结果的相对偏差均好于5%,该工作为快中子多重性测量技术的实际应用奠定了基础。

Study of n-γ discrimination for 0.4-1 MeV neutrons using the zero-crossing method with a BC501A liquid scintillation detector

An experimental system aimed at n-γ discrimination using the zero-crossing method with a φ3’’×2’’ BC501A liquid scintillation detector was established and tested with an Am-Be neutron source. Two-dimensional plots of energy versus zero-crossing time were obtained. The quality of n-γ discrimination was checked by the figure-of-merit （FOM）, the neutron peak-to-valley ratio, and the proportion of leaked neutrons over all neutron events. The performance of n-γ discrimination in terms of FOM was compared with previous work done by other groups. The n-γ discrimination in four different energy regions with an interval of 0.1 MeV between 0.3 MeV and 0.7 MeV was studied, and the results indicate that the n-γ discrimination threshold can go down to 0.4 MeV.