Neutron Imager with Micro Channel Plates (MCP) in Electrostatic Mirror Configuration: First Experimental Test

The idea of a new high transparency device based on Micro Channel Plates (MCP) has been recently presented for monitoring the flux and spatial profile of neutron beams. It consists of the assembly of a very thin aluminum foil with a 6Li deposit placed in the beam and a MCP equipped with a phosphor screen readout viewed by a CCD camera. A peculiar feature of this device is that it uses a 90° electrostatic mirror to minimize the perturbation of the neutron beam, i.e. absorption and scattering. It can be used at existing time-of-flight facilities, in particular at the n_TOF facility at CERN, for monitoring the flux and spatial profile of neutron beams in the thermal and epithermal region. In this contribution the first experimental test carried out by using radioactive sources will be presented and the related results discussed.