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Development of Position-Sensitive Neutron Detectors with 10B4C Coated RPCs

Investigating RPCs for Neutron Detectors & exploring feasibility with ANTS2 simulations. Ongoing project aims to address global He-3 shortage.

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Development of Position-Sensitive Neutron Detectors with 10B4C Coated RPCs

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  1. Neutron Detectors Neutron Detectors Alberto Blanco (a) Andrey Morozov (a) Paulo Fonte (a, b) Luís Lopes (a) Luís Margato(a) (a) LIP-Coimbra, Departamento de Física, Universidade de Coimbra (b) ISEC - Instituto Superior de Engenharia de JORNADAS LIP 2016, 19-21 Fevereiro, Universidade do Minho, Braga Coimbra

  2. Outline  Motivation  10B4C coated RPCs for Position Sensitive Neutron Detectors  Feasibility tests  ANTS2 Simulations  Ongoing Project L. Margato JORNADAS LIP 2016, 19-21 Fevereiro, 2016, Universidade do Minho, Braga 2

  3. Motivation Global He-3 shortage  3He Shortage  New Spallation Sources(e.g. ESS) He-3 is the gold standard for neutron detection in NSS (Neutron Scattering Science) Demanding challenges New types of high performance 3He free detectors for thermal neutrons are needed e.g. for SANS and Neutron Reflectometry. Low amounts or None Available L. Margato JORNADAS LIP 2016, 19-21 Fevereiro, 2016, Universidade do Minho, Braga 3

  4. Motivation to Investigate RPCs for Position Sensitive Neutron Detectors (PSNDs) RPCs  Well suited to operate in the multi-layer configuration (needed to ensure high neutron detection efficiency)  Good position resolution (~100mm) and time resolution < 1ns  Allow a modular detector design and good scalability  Well-established technology which is widely used for large area detectors (> 100 m2) in high energy physics (HEP) and astroparticle physics  Cheap materials) technology (built with affordable L. Margato JORNADAS LIP 2016, 19-21 Fevereiro, 2016, Universidade do Minho, Braga 4

  5. Thermal neutron detection with RPCs 10B Converter  Ionization produced in the gas gap by the reaction products (7Li or 4He)  It is expected ~103times larger primary charge than for MIPs.  In principle, operation of the RPC at lower H.V. (low sensitivity for MIPs and gammas). L. Margato JORNADAS LIP 2016, 19-21 Fevereiro, 2016, Universidade do Minho, Braga 5

  6. Thermal Neutron Detectors Capture cross-sections L. Margato JORNADAS LIP 2016, 19-21 Fevereiro, 2016, Universidade do Minho, Braga 6

  7. 10B4C coated RPCs for Position Sensitive Neutron Detectors Project: EXPL/FIS-NUC/2522/2013 Título do projeto (em português) Project title (in portuguese) Investigação e desenvolvimento de Multi-Gap RPCs com revestimentos de B4C para detectores de neutrões térmicos sensíveis à posição Título do projeto (em inglês) Project title (in english) Research and development of B4C coated Multi-Gap RPCs for position sensitive thermal neutron detectors Start/ End Date: 1 March 2014 / 31 August 2015 L. Margato JORNADAS LIP 2016, 19-21 Fevereiro, 2016, Universidade do Minho, Braga 7

  8. 10B4C coated RPCs for Position Sensitive Neutron Detectors Deposition of B4C coatings onto RPC electrodes (key ingredient to implement the detector concept) For B4C coatings not enriched (first phase) Engineering Surfaces Group of the Centre for Mechanical Engineering (CEMUC) - University of Coimbra For B4C high quality coatings enriched in 10B (@ ~98%) Thin films Physics Division from Linköping University (LiU) and ESS Detector Coatings Workshop, Sweden L. Margato JORNADAS LIP 2016, 19-21 Fevereiro, 2016, Universidade do Minho, Braga 8

  9. 10B4C coated RPCs for Position Sensitive Neutron Detectors 10B4C coatings manufactured at ESS Detector Coatings Workshop Courtesy of Susann Schmidt, ESS (SE) ERDA depth profile showing the compositions in a10B4C tin film SEM profile of a 10B4C thin film C.Höglund et al., J.Appl. Phys.111, 104908 (2012) L. Margato JORNADAS LIP 2016, 19-21 Fevereiro, 2016, Universidade do Minho, Braga 9

  10. 10B4C coated RPCs for Position Sensitive Neutron Detectors 10B4C coatings manufactured at ESS Detector Coatings Workshop Plates of float glass coated with 10B4C L. Margato JORNADAS LIP 2016, 19-21 Fevereiro, 2016, Universidade do Minho, Braga 10

  11. 10B4C coated RPCs for Position Sensitive Neutron Detectors 10B4C – RPC details and the DAQ System 64 channels Data Acquisition System based on MAROC3 ASIC from Omega 10B4C coatings @ ESS Detector Coatings Workshop in Linköping  Software: LULAS (LIP Ultra-Light Acquisition Software) and ANTS2 Developed at LIP by the gamma camera group Hybrid RPC L. Margato JORNADAS LIP 2016, 19-21 Fevereiro, 2016, Universidade do Minho, Braga 11

  12. Feasibility tests in a monochromatic thermal neutron beam Detector prototype in place at CT2 thermal neutron beam at ILL, Grenoble L. Margato JORNADAS LIP 2016, 19-21 Fevereiro, 2016, Universidade do Minho, Braga 12

  13. Feasibility tests in a monochromatic thermal neutron beam Plateau measurement Experiment performed in the thermal neutron beam CT2 (l Å) l=2.5 HV (Volt) 2400 From ANTS2 simulation we got: 6.0% Efficiency 5.9 % Extended plateau Obs.: 3He P. Counter used as Ref. Detector (Det. efficiency ~ 80%) RPC1: No coating RPC2: Cathode coated with 10B4C layer (2m mm thick) L. Margato JORNADAS LIP 2016, 19-21 Fevereiro, 2016, Universidade do Minho, Braga 13

  14. Feasibility tests in a monochromatic thermal neutron beam Spatial Resolution Neutron beam collimated by a slit: Slit width ~0.5 mm Beam at 3 different positions o Moving stage: step = 0.625 mm Spatial Resolution: FWHM ~ 0.8 mm (including the Slit width ~ 0.5 mm) Viability for sub-millimeter resolution thermal neutron detectors L. Margato JORNADAS LIP 2016, 19-21 Fevereiro, 2016, Universidade do Minho, Braga 14

  15. ANTS2 Simulations Deposited energy in the gas-gap (C2H2F4 @ 1 atm) for the 4He and 7Li fissions fragments vs. Gas-gap width 10B4C thickness = 1.3 m mm; l l = 1.8 Å; C2H2F4 @ 1 atm gas-gap: 5 mm gas-gap: 0.175 mm gas-gap: 0.35 mm L. Margato JORNADAS LIP 2016, 19-21 Fevereiro, 2016, Universidade do Minho, Braga 15

  16. ANTS2 Simulations Ranges for the 4He and 7Li particles in the gas-gap 10B4C thickness = 1.3 m mm; l l = 1.8 Å; C2H2F4 @ 1 atm Gas-gap: 0.35 mm Gas-gap: 0.175 mm Gas-gap: 5 mm Distributions for the length of the Ranges projected in the direction parallel to the plane of the electrodes L. Margato JORNADAS LIP 2016, 19-21 Fevereiro, 2016, Universidade do Minho, Braga 16

  17. ANTS2 Simulations 10B4C layers thickness optimization 20 Layers are needed for ~ 50% Efficiency L. Margato JORNADAS LIP 2016, 19-21 Fevereiro, 2016, Universidade do Minho, Braga 17

  18. ANTS2 Simulations Neutrons Incidence at a Grazing Angle L. Margato JORNADAS LIP 2016, 19-21 Fevereiro, 2016, Universidade do Minho, Braga 18

  19. Adressing the low efficiency of a single layer of 10B  Maximum efficiency of a single layer of 10B is only ~ 5%  Possible solutions with RPCs  Cascading a series of conversion Layers of 10B4C o Multi-gap RPCs o Stack of single-gap or double-gap RPCs  Neutron Incidence in the 10B4C layer at a grazing angle N Layers L. Margato JORNADAS LIP 2016, 19-21 Fevereiro, 2016, Universidade do Minho, Braga 19

  20. Adressing the low efficiency of a single layer of 10B New Ideas Multi-Blade RPC: B. Guérard (ILL) and RPC Group at LIP The Multi-blade MSGC B. Guérard et al. Nucl. Instr. and Meth. A, 554 (2005), p. 392 doi: 10.1016/j.nima.2005.08.018 Multi-Blade concept, using 10B4C layers and MWPCs F. Piscitelli et al., 2014 JINST 9 P03007 e.g. for Neutron Macromolecule Crystallography (NMC) and Neutron Reflectometry L. Margato JORNADAS LIP 2016, 19-21 Fevereiro, 2016, Universidade do Minho, Braga 20

  21. Ongoing Project Purpose Explore the potential of 10B4C coated RPCs for High Resolution PSNDs Future Work  MC SIMULATION  PROTOTYPE DESIGN, MANUFACTURE and CHARACTERIZATION  STUDY OF 10B4C - RPCs OPERATION IN AVALANCHE MODE  2D POSITION RECONSTRUCTION L. Margato JORNADAS LIP 2016, 19-21 Fevereiro, 2016, Universidade do Minho, Braga 21

  22. Ongoing Project New neutron project approved by the European Commission SINE2020: world-class Science and Innovation with Neutrons in Europe in 2020 L. Margato JORNADAS LIP 2016, 19-21 Fevereiro, 2016, Universidade do Minho, Braga 22

  23. Ongoing Project WP9 Detectors Coordinator: Nigel Rhodes (STFC) Partners: STFC, ILL, ESS, PSI, TUM, Juelich, CEA, TU Delft, LIP WP 9 AIMS Develop neutron detectors for reflectometry applications relevant to the ESS LIP Participates Task 9.4 Emergent Detector Technologies for neutron scattering and muon spectroscopy LIP responsibility Develop the 10B4C coated RPCs concept Funding committed to LIP: 116,250 Eur Start / End Date: October 2015 / October 2019 L. Margato JORNADAS LIP 2016, 19-21 Fevereiro, 2016, Universidade do Minho, Braga 23

  24. Thank you for your attention 24 L. Margato JORNADAS LIP 2016, 19-21 Fevereiro, 2016, Universidade do Minho, Braga

  25. Backup Slides 25 L. Margato JORNADAS LIP 2016, 19-21 Fevereiro, 2016, Universidade do Minho, Braga

  26. Feasibility tests in a monochromatic thermal neutron beam Spatial Resolution Neutron beam collimated by a slit: Slit width~0.5 mm Beam set at 2 different positions (moving stage step =1mm) Spatial Resolution: FWHM ~ 0.8 mm (including the Slit width ~ 0.5 mm) L. Margato JORNADAS LIP 2016, 19-21 Fevereiro, 2016, Universidade do Minho, Braga 26

  27. 27 L. Margato JORNADAS LIP 2016, 19-21 Fevereiro, 2016, Universidade do Minho, Braga

  28. Thermal Neutron Detectors Common Nuclear Reactions for Neutron Detectors L. Margato JORNADAS LIP 2016, 19-21 Fevereiro, 2016, Universidade do Minho, Braga 28

  29. 10B4C coated RPCs for Position Sensitive Neutron Detectors Hybrid RPC Configuration Signal pick-up strips engraved on a PCB: o Strip width = 2mm o Pitch = 2.5mm Plate of float glass (0.35 mm thick): 8cm x 8cm Plate of Al (1.0 mm thick): 8cm x 8cm Gas-gap width: 0.35 mm; filled with C2H2F4 @ 1atm L. Margato JORNADAS LIP 2016, 19-21 Fevereiro, 2016, Universidade do Minho, Braga 29

  30. Next Phase: Improving detection efficiency 10B4C coated multigap RPCs for position sensitive neutron detectors: possible detector configurations 30 L. Margato JORNADAS LIP 2016, 19-21 Fevereiro, 2016, Universidade do Minho, Braga

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