Experimental and Simulation Study of the Response of a Boron-Loaded Plastic Scintillator to Neutrons and Gamma-rays

Abstract

A boron-loaded plastic scintillator has been investigated for possible use in neutron spectrometry. The sensor composition of hydrogen and carbon leads to multiple scattering collisions that are useful for fast neutron spectroscopy, while its boron component can serve as a thermal neutron detector. The response function of this detector has been simulated using MCNPX code for gamma-rays and neutrons. The sensor has been mounted on a photomultiplier tube connected to a data acquisition system. The system has been tested in different gamma-ray and neutron fields at the UOIT Neutron Facility. The simulation and experimental results have been compared and analyzed.