Digital discrimination of neutrons and γγ-rays in liquid scintillators using pulse gradient analysis

A method for the digital discrimination of neutrons and γγ-rays in mixed radiation fields is described. Pulses in the time domain, arising from the interaction of photons and neutrons in a liquid scintillator, have been produced using an accepted empirical model and from experimental measurements with an americium–beryllium source. Neutrons and γγ-rays have been successfully discriminated in both of these data sets in the digital domain. The digital discrimination method described in this paper is simple and exploits samples early in the life of the pulse. It is thus compatible with current embedded system technologies, offers a degree of immunity to pulse pile-up and heralds a real-time means for neutron/γγ discrimination that is fundamental to many potential industrial applications.