Pushing the high count rate limits of scintillation detectors for challenging neutron-capture experiments

The n TOF Collaboration (www.cern.ch/ntof)

doi:10.1016/j.nima.2024.169385

Pushing the high count rate limits of scintillation detectors for challenging neutron-capture experiments

The n TOF Collaboration (www.cern.ch/ntof)

Physics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

One of the critical aspects for the accurate determination of neutron capture cross sections when combining time-of-flight and total energy detector techniques is the characterization and control of systematic uncertainties associated to the measuring devices. In this work we explore the most conspicuous effects associated to harsh count rate conditions: dead-time and pile-up effects. Both effects, when not properly treated, can lead to large systematic uncertainties and bias in the determination of neutron cross sections. In the majority of neutron capture measurements carried out at the CERN n_TOF facility, the detectors of choice are the C₆D₆ liquid-based either in form of large-volume cells or recently commissioned sTED detector array, consisting of much smaller-volume modules. To account for the aforementioned effects, we introduce a Monte Carlo model for these detectors mimicking harsh count rate conditions similar to those happening at the CERN n_TOF 20 m flight path vertical measuring station. The model parameters are extracted by comparison with the experimental data taken at the same facility during 2022 experimental campaign. We propose a novel methodology to consider both, dead-time and pile-up effects simultaneously for these fast detectors and check the applicability to experimental data from ¹⁹⁷Au(n, γ), including the saturated 4.9 eV resonance which is an important component of normalization for neutron cross section measurements.

Original language	English
Article number	169385
Number of pages	13
Journal	Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Volume	1064
Early online date	30 Apr 2024
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2024.169385
Publication status	Published - Jul 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Author(s)

Keywords

Dead-time
Pile-up
Pulse-height weighting technique
Radiative capture
Time-of-flight
Total energy detector

Access to Document

10.1016/j.nima.2024.169385Licence: CC BY-NC-ND

1-s2.0-S0168900224003115-main
© 2024 The Author(s)
Final published version, 3.08 MBLicence: CC BY-NC-ND

Cite this

@article{636e268e3722416db351ba56cc5a7b30,

title = "Pushing the high count rate limits of scintillation detectors for challenging neutron-capture experiments",

abstract = "One of the critical aspects for the accurate determination of neutron capture cross sections when combining time-of-flight and total energy detector techniques is the characterization and control of systematic uncertainties associated to the measuring devices. In this work we explore the most conspicuous effects associated to harsh count rate conditions: dead-time and pile-up effects. Both effects, when not properly treated, can lead to large systematic uncertainties and bias in the determination of neutron cross sections. In the majority of neutron capture measurements carried out at the CERN n_TOF facility, the detectors of choice are the C6D6 liquid-based either in form of large-volume cells or recently commissioned sTED detector array, consisting of much smaller-volume modules. To account for the aforementioned effects, we introduce a Monte Carlo model for these detectors mimicking harsh count rate conditions similar to those happening at the CERN n_TOF 20 m flight path vertical measuring station. The model parameters are extracted by comparison with the experimental data taken at the same facility during 2022 experimental campaign. We propose a novel methodology to consider both, dead-time and pile-up effects simultaneously for these fast detectors and check the applicability to experimental data from 197Au(n, γ), including the saturated 4.9 eV resonance which is an important component of normalization for neutron cross section measurements.",

keywords = "Dead-time, Pile-up, Pulse-height weighting technique, Radiative capture, Time-of-flight, Total energy detector",

author = "{The n TOF Collaboration (www.cern.ch/ntof)} and J. Balibrea-Correa and J. Lerendegui-Marco and V. Babiano-Suarez and C. Domingo-Pardo and I. Ladarescu and A. Tarife{\~n}o-Saldivia and Fuente-Rosales, {G. de la} and V. Alcayne and D. Cano-Ott and E. Gonz{\'a}lez-Romero and T. Mart{\'i}nez and E. Mendoza and {de Rada}, {A. P{\'e}rez} and {del Olmo}, {J. Plaza} and A. S{\'a}nchez-Caballero and A. Casanovas and F. Calvi{\~n}o and S. Valenta and O. Aberle and S. Altieri and S. Amaducci and J. Andrzejewski and M. Bacak and C. Beltrami and S. Bennett and Bernardes, {A. P.} and E. Berthoumieux and R. Beyer and M. Boromiza and D. Bosnar and M. Caama{\~n}o and M. Calviani and Castelluccio, {D. M.} and F. Cerutti and G. Cescutti and S. Chasapoglou and E. Chiaveri and P. Colombetti and N. Colonna and Camprini, {P. Console} and G. Cort{\'e}s and Cort{\'e}s-Giraldo, {M. A.} and L. Cosentino and S. Cristallo and S. Dellmann and {Di Castro}, M. and {Di Maria}, S. and M. Diakaki and M. Dietz and Jenkins, {D. G.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2024 The Author(s)",

year = "2024",

month = jul,

doi = "10.1016/j.nima.2024.169385",

language = "English",

volume = "1064",

journal = "Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment",

issn = "0168-9002",

publisher = "Elsevier",

}

Pushing the high count rate limits of scintillation detectors for challenging neutron-capture experiments. / The n TOF Collaboration (www.cern.ch/ntof).
In: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 1064, 169385, 07.2024.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Pushing the high count rate limits of scintillation detectors for challenging neutron-capture experiments

AU - The n TOF Collaboration (www.cern.ch/ntof)

AU - Balibrea-Correa, J.

AU - Lerendegui-Marco, J.

AU - Babiano-Suarez, V.

AU - Domingo-Pardo, C.

AU - Ladarescu, I.

AU - Tarifeño-Saldivia, A.

AU - Fuente-Rosales, G. de la

AU - Alcayne, V.

AU - Cano-Ott, D.

AU - González-Romero, E.

AU - Martínez, T.

AU - Mendoza, E.

AU - de Rada, A. Pérez

AU - del Olmo, J. Plaza

AU - Sánchez-Caballero, A.

AU - Casanovas, A.

AU - Calviño, F.

AU - Valenta, S.

AU - Aberle, O.

AU - Altieri, S.

AU - Amaducci, S.

AU - Andrzejewski, J.

AU - Bacak, M.

AU - Beltrami, C.

AU - Bennett, S.

AU - Bernardes, A. P.

AU - Berthoumieux, E.

AU - Beyer, R.

AU - Boromiza, M.

AU - Bosnar, D.

AU - Caamaño, M.

AU - Calviani, M.

AU - Castelluccio, D. M.

AU - Cerutti, F.

AU - Cescutti, G.

AU - Chasapoglou, S.

AU - Chiaveri, E.

AU - Colombetti, P.

AU - Colonna, N.

AU - Camprini, P. Console

AU - Cortés, G.

AU - Cortés-Giraldo, M. A.

AU - Cosentino, L.

AU - Cristallo, S.

AU - Dellmann, S.

AU - Di Castro, M.

AU - Di Maria, S.

AU - Diakaki, M.

AU - Dietz, M.

AU - Jenkins, D. G.

PY - 2024/7

Y1 - 2024/7

N2 - One of the critical aspects for the accurate determination of neutron capture cross sections when combining time-of-flight and total energy detector techniques is the characterization and control of systematic uncertainties associated to the measuring devices. In this work we explore the most conspicuous effects associated to harsh count rate conditions: dead-time and pile-up effects. Both effects, when not properly treated, can lead to large systematic uncertainties and bias in the determination of neutron cross sections. In the majority of neutron capture measurements carried out at the CERN n_TOF facility, the detectors of choice are the C6D6 liquid-based either in form of large-volume cells or recently commissioned sTED detector array, consisting of much smaller-volume modules. To account for the aforementioned effects, we introduce a Monte Carlo model for these detectors mimicking harsh count rate conditions similar to those happening at the CERN n_TOF 20 m flight path vertical measuring station. The model parameters are extracted by comparison with the experimental data taken at the same facility during 2022 experimental campaign. We propose a novel methodology to consider both, dead-time and pile-up effects simultaneously for these fast detectors and check the applicability to experimental data from 197Au(n, γ), including the saturated 4.9 eV resonance which is an important component of normalization for neutron cross section measurements.

AB - One of the critical aspects for the accurate determination of neutron capture cross sections when combining time-of-flight and total energy detector techniques is the characterization and control of systematic uncertainties associated to the measuring devices. In this work we explore the most conspicuous effects associated to harsh count rate conditions: dead-time and pile-up effects. Both effects, when not properly treated, can lead to large systematic uncertainties and bias in the determination of neutron cross sections. In the majority of neutron capture measurements carried out at the CERN n_TOF facility, the detectors of choice are the C6D6 liquid-based either in form of large-volume cells or recently commissioned sTED detector array, consisting of much smaller-volume modules. To account for the aforementioned effects, we introduce a Monte Carlo model for these detectors mimicking harsh count rate conditions similar to those happening at the CERN n_TOF 20 m flight path vertical measuring station. The model parameters are extracted by comparison with the experimental data taken at the same facility during 2022 experimental campaign. We propose a novel methodology to consider both, dead-time and pile-up effects simultaneously for these fast detectors and check the applicability to experimental data from 197Au(n, γ), including the saturated 4.9 eV resonance which is an important component of normalization for neutron cross section measurements.

KW - Dead-time

KW - Pile-up

KW - Pulse-height weighting technique

KW - Radiative capture

KW - Time-of-flight

KW - Total energy detector

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85191660097&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.nima.2024.169385

DO - 10.1016/j.nima.2024.169385

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85191660097

SN - 0168-9002

VL - 1064

JO - Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment

JF - Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment

M1 - 169385

ER -

Pushing the high count rate limits of scintillation detectors for challenging neutron-capture experiments

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Cite this