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P.Finocchiaro 1Third European Energy Conference E2C 2013 Budapest 27-30 October 2013 3He-free low-cost neutron detectors
HELNED: Helium-3-free low-cost neutron detectors
6Li
n
4He
7Li
3H
Paolo Finocchiaro
Luigi Cosentino, Carmelo Marchetta, Alfio Pappalardo, Sergio Scirè, Carlotta Scirè, Gianfranco Vecchio
INFN Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Catania, Italy
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P.Finocchiaro 2Third European Energy Conference E2C 2013 Budapest 27-30 October 2013 3He-free low-cost neutron detectors
where did we start from?
radioactive waste in almost every country in the world
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P.Finocchiaro 3Third European Energy Conference E2C 2013 Budapest 27-30 October 2013 3He-free low-cost neutron detectors
Detector Mesh for Nuclear RepositoriesDMNR
wirelessnetwork
Data
wirednetwork
localdata
storage
remotedata
storage
Web
we implemented a low-cost granular radwaste monitoring system (gamma rays)
see tomorrow’s talk of Alfio Pappalardo
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P.Finocchiaro 4Third European Energy Conference E2C 2013 Budapest 27-30 October 2013 3He-free low-cost neutron detectors
why neutrons?
upgrade: thermal neutron monitoring
spent fuel monitoringin place and/or during transportation
(P.Peerani, M.Galletta, Nuclear Engineering and Design 237 (2007) 94-99)
Plutonium, I love you...
detection of possible diversion of fuel elements from
Castor containers
out-of-core monitoring in NPP
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P.Finocchiaro 5Third European Energy Conference E2C 2013 Budapest 27-30 October 2013 3He-free low-cost neutron detectors
our idea: granular, real time, automatic
current monitoring method: video camera
ensuring continuity of knowledge
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P.Finocchiaro 6Third European Energy Conference E2C 2013 Budapest 27-30 October 2013 3He-free low-cost neutron detectors
(0.025)≈ 5330 b
available energy0.76 MeVno gamma rays
3He
n
p
3H
How?
materials for thermal neutron conversion: 3He
perfect gas detector but... worldwide lack of 3He
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P.Finocchiaro 7Third European Energy Conference E2C 2013 Budapest 27-30 October 2013 3He-free low-cost neutron detectors
6Li
10B
157Gd
113Cd
(0.025)≈ 940 b
(0.025)≈ 3840 b
(0.025)≈ 240 kb
(0.025)≈ 20 kb
available E4.78 MeV
available E2.79 MeV(and gamma rays)
large available Ebut in form of gamma rays:difficult neutron identification
materials for thermal neutron conversion: which one?
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P.Finocchiaro 8Third European Energy Conference E2C 2013 Budapest 27-30 October 2013 3He-free low-cost neutron detectors
thermalneutrons
Cross section ≈ 940 b
detection of 3H and/or 4He
6Li – natural abundance: 7%
a 6LiF convertercaptures a neutron...
...and produces 4He ed 3H which can be detected
4He
7Li
3H
6Li
n
2.05 MeV 2.73 MeV
physical process
how?
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P.Finocchiaro 9Third European Energy Conference E2C 2013 Budapest 27-30 October 2013 3He-free low-cost neutron detectors
9cm2 Si detector + 6LiF(1.5µm)
3cm x 3cm
Si
6LiF
neutrons
difference between spectra not needed to reject gammas
n/gamma ≈ 10-5
3He-free Lithium-based NEutron Detectorswith removable converter
gammabackground
AmBe neutron source 5E4 n/sthermal flux ≈ 4 n/s/cm2
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P.Finocchiaro 10Third European Energy Conference E2C 2013 Budapest 27-30 October 2013 3He-free low-cost neutron detectors
Si detector + 6LiF: comparison with simulation
semi-quantitative GEANT4 simulation:
• neutrons: thermal• gamma: 60 keV• gamma: 662 keV• gamma: 1.2 MeV• gamma: 4 MeV
• # alpha and tritium normalized to data• # gamma manually scaled
quite encouraging data-simulation agreement (surprising?)
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P.Finocchiaro 11Third European Energy Conference E2C 2013 Budapest 27-30 October 2013 3He-free low-cost neutron detectors
100%neutrons
gammabackground Alpha Tritium
≈ neutrons PET castle
Si + 6LiF
neutronsource
expected ≈ 4 cps measured 3.3
AmBe neutron source 1.6E6 n/sthermal flux ≈ 150 n/s/cm2
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P.Finocchiaro 12Third European Energy Conference E2C 2013 Budapest 27-30 October 2013 3He-free low-cost neutron detectors
ΔE calculated: 195 keVΔE measured: 200 keV
thickness: 1.8µm vs 1.5µm20% more efficient
added 2 gamma sourcesto test rejection (740 MBq)
Si detector + 6LiF
optimal 6LiF thickness 1.8µm
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P.Finocchiaro 13Third European Energy Conference E2C 2013 Budapest 27-30 October 2013 3He-free low-cost neutron detectors
2 converters:double efficiency
Si detector + 6LiF
6LiF on plastics
6LiF on glass
double sided silicon 3cm x 3cm x 300µm
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P.Finocchiaro 14Third European Energy Conference E2C 2013 Budapest 27-30 October 2013 3He-free low-cost neutron detectors
no source: background2 converters: double efficiency (2%)no converter: only gamma contribution
but... in log scale...
unexpected neutrons?
part of the 6LiF migrated from the
plastic substrate to the silicon face!
log
lin
Si detector + 6LiF
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P.Finocchiaro 15Third European Energy Conference E2C 2013 Budapest 27-30 October 2013 3He-free low-cost neutron detectors
log
lin
heavy material close to the detector:higher energy gamma (scattering)
heavy material removed:the gamma background is suppressed
same as before in log scale
Si detector + 6LiF
advice:no heavy material inside
the PET moderator
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P.Finocchiaro 16Third European Energy Conference E2C 2013 Budapest 27-30 October 2013 3He-free low-cost neutron detectors
collaboration with nTOF @ CERN
Si detector + 6LiF
Si
Si Si
Si
6Li foil
4He
3H
SiMon2: neutron beam monitor for flux normalization
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P.Finocchiaro 17Third European Energy Conference E2C 2013 Budapest 27-30 October 2013 3He-free low-cost neutron detectors
BeaMon: neutron beam characterization
16-strip Si6Li foil
forward-backward asymmetry XY distribution
Si detector + 6LiF
collaboration with nTOF @ CERN
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P.Finocchiaro 18Third European Energy Conference E2C 2013 Budapest 27-30 October 2013 3He-free low-cost neutron detectors
better efficiency (up to 50%?)
6Li deposits over large area (A4)
scintillators...
features
• mechanically simple and robust
• reasonably cheap
• commercial solid state detectors
• strips for position measurements
• simple use (no spectrum analysis or subtraction for gamma rejection)
patent? YES
next steps
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P.Finocchiaro 19Third European Energy Conference E2C 2013 Budapest 27-30 October 2013 3He-free low-cost neutron detectors
tritium neutrons
alpha + gamma
alpha + gamma
tritium neutrons
Posi
tion
Light
neutrons
• good intrinsic efficiency
• position sensitive (Δx ≈ 1-2 mm)
• low cost
• many possible geometries and schemesRM2013A000254
filed on 2013-04-29
...with scintillator detectors
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P.Finocchiaro 20Third European Energy Conference E2C 2013 Budapest 27-30 October 2013 3He-free low-cost neutron detectors
localdata
storage
remotedata
storage
Web
real-time castor storage monitoring
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P.Finocchiaro 21Third European Energy Conference E2C 2013 Budapest 27-30 October 2013 3He-free low-cost neutron detectors
easily integrated into the existing hardware and software architecture of DMNR:electronicsdata acquisitionsystem controldata logging database handlingGraphical User Interface
wireless transmission
collaboration with JRC & Euratom...
real-time castor storage monitoring
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P.Finocchiaro 22Third European Energy Conference E2C 2013 Budapest 27-30 October 2013 3He-free low-cost neutron detectors
• Nuclear physics research
• Homeland security (nuclear material smuggling)
• Dosimetry
• Radwaste monitoring
• Spent fuel handling and storage monitoring
• Search for nuclear material accidentally lost among scrap metal
• Material structure (with neutron beams)
• other...
possible applications
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P.Finocchiaro 23Third European Energy Conference E2C 2013 Budapest 27-30 October 2013 3He-free low-cost neutron detectors
Time-of-Flight Neutron Diffraction (ToF- ND)e.g.: University of Milan, inorganic stereochemistry
Neutron Resonance Capture Analysise.g.: Ancient Charm EU projectsecrets of Bronze Age sword unveiled
Bragg Edge Transmission e.g.: S.Petriw, J.Dawidowski, J.Santisteban, Porosity effects on the neutron total cross section of graphite Journal of Nuclear Materials 396 (2010)181-188
Neutron Radiographye.g.: Institute of Atomic and Subatomic Physics - TU Wien
neutron X-ray
applications with neutron beams
material analysis: composition and structure
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P.Finocchiaro 24Third European Energy Conference E2C 2013 Budapest 27-30 October 2013 3He-free low-cost neutron detectors
compact neutron monitors?
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thank you
picture: ETNA volcano eruption, Catania 2013