Dual-particle imaging system based on simultaneous detection of photon and neutron collision events

A dual-particle imaging (DPI) system capable of simultaneously detecting and imaging fast neutrons and photons has been designed and built. Imaging fast neutrons and photons simultaneously is particularly desirable for nuclear nonproliferation and/or safeguards applications because typical sources of interest (special nuclear material) emit both particle types. The DPI system consists of three detection planes: the first two planes consist of organic-liquid scintillators and the third plane consists of NaI(Tl) inorganic scintillators. Pulse shape discrimination technique(s) may be used for the liquid scintillators to differentiate neutron and photon pulses whereas the NaI(Tl) scintillators are highly insensitive to neutrons. A prototype DPI system was set up using a digital data acquisition system as a proof of concept. Initial measurements showed potential for use of the DPI system with special nuclear material. The DPI system has efficiencies of the order of 10−4 correlated counts per incident particles for both neutron and photon correlated counts, with simple-backprojection images displaying peaks within a few degrees of the source location. This uncertainty is expected to decrease with more extensive data interpretation.