A first comparison of the responses of a He-4-based fast-neutron detector and a NE-213 liquid-scintillator reference detector

A first comparison has been made between the pulse-shape discrimination characteristics of a novel He-4-based pressurized scintillation detector and a NE-213 liquicl-scintillator reference detector using an Am/Be mixed-field neutron and gamma-ray source and a high-resolution scintillation-pulse digitizer. In particular, the capabilities of the two fast neutron detectors to discriminate between neutrons and gamma-rays were investigated. The NE-213 liquicl-scintillator reference cell produced a wide range of scintillation-light yields in response to he gamma-ray field of the source. In stark contrast, clue to the size and pressure of the He-4 gas volume, the He-4-based detector registered a maximum scintillation-light yield of 750 keV(ee) to the same gamma-ray field. Pulse-shape discrimination for particles with scintillation-light yields of more than 750 keV(ee) was excellent in the case of the He-4-based detector. Above 750 keV(ee) its signal was unambiguously neutron, enabling particle identification based entirely upon the amount of scintillation light produced. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.