Optimizing the gate-pulse width for fast neutron induced gamma-ray spectroscopy

Sudeep Mitra; Lucian Wielopolski

doi:10.1117/12.614569

14 September 2005 Optimizing the gate-pulse width for fast neutron induced gamma-ray spectroscopy

Sudeep Mitra, Lucian Wielopolski

Proceedings Volume 5923, Penetrating Radiation Systems and Applications VII; 592308 (2005) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.614569
Event: Optics and Photonics 2005, 2005, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

We used a pulsed 14 MeV neutron generator (NG) to acquire two concurrent gamma-ray spectra induced by inelastic neutron scattering (INS) and thermal neutron capture (TNC) in Si, O, and C, which are key elements in soil analyses. These separate spectra were acquired by gating the data acquisition system during the neutron pulse, to obtain an INS spectrum, and in between the neutron pulses, to obtain a TNC spectrum. Despite this separation, TNC gamma rays are still counted in the INS window due to the steady state achieved in the former reaction. With the NG operating at 10 kHz and a 25% duty cycle, the magnitude of the single-escape gamma rays from the Si 4.93 MeV gamma-ray peak in the TNC spectrum to the 4.43 MeV carbon region in the INS spectrum is 10.1% of the 4.93 MeV peak intensity. This percentage depends on the neutron repetition rate and duty cycle. It can be reduced to 4.9% by using a narrower gate-pulse that closely fits the neutron burst. We also show that under these conditions the net count rate in the individual peaks of soil elements, Si and O (6.13 MeV) of the TNC spectrum reaches a steady state between the neutron pulses, but the total count rate from the entire spectrum does not.

Citation Download Citation

Sudeep Mitra and Lucian Wielopolski "Optimizing the gate-pulse width for fast neutron induced gamma-ray spectroscopy", Proc. SPIE 5923, Penetrating Radiation Systems and Applications VII, 592308 (14 September 2005); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.614569

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