Neutron Imager and Flux Monitor Based on Micro Channel Plates (MCP) in Electrostatic Mirror Configuration

In this paper, a new high transparency device based on MCP for the monitoring the flux and spatial profile of a neutron beam will be described. The assembly consists of a carbon foil with a 6Li deposit, placed in the beam, and a MCP equipped with a phosphor screen readout viewed by a CCD camera, placed outside the beam. Secondary emitted electrons (SEE) produced in the carbon foil by the alpha-particles and tritons from the 6Li+n reaction, are deflected to the MCP detector by means of an electrostatic mirror, suitably designed to preserve the spatial resolution. The conductive layer on the phosphor can be used for neutron counting, and to obtain time-of-flight information.A peculiar feature of this device is that the use of an electrostatic mirror minimizes the perturbation of the neutron beam, i.e. absorption and scattering. It can be used at existing time-of-flight (TOF) facilities, in particular at the n_TOF facility at CERN, for monitoring the flux and special profile of the neutron beam in the thermal and epithermal region.In this work, the device principle and design will be presented, together with the main features in terms of resolution and neutron detection efficiency.