Radiator design for detecting high-energy neutrons with a nuclear track detector

Subsequent to the proposal of a two-layer structured radiator for more efficient detection of high-energy neutrons with a plastic nuclear track detector (PNTD), its availability has been investigated both experimentally and theoretically. An inner deuterized hydrocarbon (CD2) layer adjacent to PNTD should play the role of both a radiator of deuterons recoiled there and a degrader for energetic protons recoiled in the outer layer of a CH2 material. It was found that the energy dependence of the efficiency was changed sensitively by the thickness of the CD2 layer. A best combination of CH2 and CD2 thickness was estimated under a condition of a constant total thickness. For example, the sensitivity could be flattened within 20% between about 5 and 70 MeV by using 1g/cm2-CD2 and 2g/cm2-CH2.