Numerical evaluation of the light transport properties of alternative He-3 neutron detectors using ceramic scintillators

Abstract The light transport properties of scintillator light inside alternative He-3 neutron detectors using scintillator sheets have been investigated by a ray-tracing simulation code. The detector consists of a light-reflecting tube, a thin rectangular ceramic scintillator sheet laminated on a glass plate, and two photo-multiplier tubes (PMTs) mounted at both ends of the detector tube. The flashes of light induced on the surface of the scintillator sheet via nuclear interaction between the scintillator and neutrons are detected by the two PMTs. The light output at both ends of various detectors in which the scintillator sheets are installed with several different arrangements were examined and evaluated in comparison with experimental results. The results derived from the simulation reveal that the light transport property is strongly dependent on the arrangement of the scintillator sheet inside the tube and the shape of the tube.