Collaborative Research: Equipment: MRI Consortium: Track 2 Development of a Next Generation Fast Neutron Detector

合作研究：设备：MRI 联盟：下一代快中子探测器的 Track 2 开发

• 批准号: 2320404
• 负责人: Anthony Kuchera
• 金额: $ 36.25万
• 依托单位: Davidson College
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-09-15 至 2026-08-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2320404&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Equipment; MRI; Consortium

The study of neutron-rich atomic nuclei can reveal effects about how protons and neutrons interact inside nuclei. These play an important role in the formation of the elements in the universe and help scientists understand how the nuclear core of atoms form. One of the ways to investigate these nuclei at the edge of stability is to measure their breakup products, which includes the neutrons that are not needed to hold the smaller nuclei together. The detection of neutrons is challenging because they have no charge and only interact with the nuclear core of atoms. This award will support the development, building, and commissioning of a modular array based on plastic scintillator for the detection of fast (between one third and one half the speed of light) neutrons. The new detector array will significantly improve how precisely we can determine the neutrons’ position compared to current neutron detectors because it will make use of state-of-the-art photo-sensors, and as a result enable nuclear structure measurements with superior precision. The detector modules will be built and tested to a large extent at the seven participating undergraduate institutions, allowing undergraduate students to learn key technical skills and to contribute to nuclear physics research in a meaningful way. Scintillation detectors, i.e. detectors that measure the scintillation light that stems from subatomic particles interacting within the detector, are widely employed in research, industry, and medical imaging, so these skills can be applied in many crucial fields.Contemporary fast neutron detectors use conventional detector configurations of long plastic scintillator bars read out by pairs of photo-multiplier tubes (PMTs). The position of the neutron interaction is deduced from the time difference of the signals measured by each PMT at opposite ends of the detector bar, and from which detector bar has been hit. A different approach to scintillation-light collection is pursued in this new detector using arrays of Silicon Photo-Multipliers (SiPMs), overcoming the limitations of current designs and resulting in improved position resolution for fast neutron detection. This also allows a tiled design that offers much more flexibility in adjusting the active area of the array to specific experiment needs. Invariant-mass spectroscopy of neutron-unbound states in elements beyond oxygen requires such an experimental setup with improved resolution. As one moves to heavier unbound systems one faces higher level densities. To resolve these in the reconstructed decay energy spectrum requires higher momentum (and thus position) resolution. A high position resolution also improves the discrimination of double-scattered events and allows the use of higher beam energies that are available at the rare-isotope beam facilities such as the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB). The completed instrument will serve the broad FRIB user community and enable invariant mass measurements at the resolution that is required for heavier and more exotic isotopes that are available with FRIB beams.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

对富中子原子核的研究可以揭示原子核内质子和中子如何相互作用的影响，这些在宇宙中元素的形成中发挥着重要作用，并帮助科学家了解原子核的形成方式之一。研究这些处于稳定边缘的原子核就是测量它们的分裂产物，其中包括将较小的原子核结合在一起所不需要的中子。中子的检测具有挑战性，因为它们不带电荷并且仅与原子核相互作用。原子。该奖项将支持基于塑料闪烁体的模块化阵列的开发、建造和调试，用于检测快中子（光速的三分之一到二分之一）。新的探测器阵列将显着提高我们确定的精确度。与当前的中子探测器相比，中子的位置很重要，因为它将利用最先进的光电传感器，从而能够以极高的精度进行核结构测量，探测器模块将在很大程度上进行建造和测试。在七点参与的本科机构，使本科生能够学习关键的技术技能，并以有意义的方式为核物理研究做出贡献。 闪烁探测器，即测量探测器内相互作用的亚原子粒子产生的闪烁光的探测器，被广泛应用于研究中，工业和医学成像，因此这些技能可以应用于许多关键领域。当代快中子探测器使用传统的探测器配置，由成对的光电倍增管读出长塑料闪烁体棒(PMT) 中子相互作用的位置是根据探测器棒相对两端的每个 PMT 测量到的信号的时间差推导出来的，并从探测器棒被击中的位置寻求不同的闪烁光收集方法。在这种使用硅光电倍增管（SiPM）阵列的新型探测器中，克服了当前设计的局限性，提高了快速中子探测的位置分辨率，这也使得平铺设计在调整中子时提供了更大的灵活性。阵列的活性区域以满足特定的实验需求。氧以外的元素的中子非束缚态的不变质谱需要这样一种具有更高分辨率的实验装置来解决这些问题。重建的衰变能谱需要更高的动量（以及位置）分辨率，高位置分辨率还可以提高双散射事件的辨别力，并允许使用稀有同位素束设施（例如稀有同位素束设施）中可用的更高束流能量。稀有同位素束 (FRIB) 设施 完成的仪器将为广大 FRIB 用户群体提供服务，并能够以 FRIB 束可用的更重和更奇特的同位素所需的分辨率进行恒定质量测量。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命和使命。通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，该项目被认为值得支持。