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arXiv · 1510.02365

First Measurements with New High-Resolution Gadolinium-GEM Neutron Detectors

Abstract

European Spallation Source instruments like the macromolecular diffractometer, NMX, require an excellent neutron detection efficiency, high-rate capabilities, time resolution, and an unprecedented spatial resolution in the order of a few hundred micrometers over a wide angular range of the incoming neutrons. For these instruments solid converters in combination with Micro Pattern Gaseous Detectors (MPGDs) are a promising option. A GEM detector with gadolinium converter was tested on a cold neutron beam at the IFE research reactor in Norway. The μTPC analysis, proven to improve the spatial resolution in the case of $^{10}$B converters, is extended to gadolinium based detectors. For the first time, a Gd-GEM was successfully operated to detect neutrons with a measured efficiency of 11.8% at a wavelength of 2 Å and a position resolution better than 250 μm.

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Dorothea Pfeiffer, Filippo Resnati, Jens Birch, Maddi Etxegarai, Richard Hall-Wilton, Carina Höglund, Lars Hultman, Isabel Llamas-Jansa, Eraldo Oliveri, Esko Oksanen, Linda Robinson, Leszek Ropelewski, Susann Schmidt, Christina Streli, Patrik Thuiner. 2016-05-02. First Measurements with New High-Resolution Gadolinium-GEM Neutron Detectors. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-0221%2F11%2F05%2Fp05011

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