Longevity tests and background response of bubble neutron detectors

Abstract The long-term performance of a set of 20 bubble neutron detectors has been examined over a period of four years. During that time, the detectors were exposed and reset more than one hundred times. Although departures from the initial detection sensitivity have been noticed in several cases, the detectors indicated a longer lifetime than originally expected. In measurements of the terrestrial background at ambient conditions, the bubble count rate was found to increase much more rapidly with temperature than in measurements made with a reference Am-Be neutron source. The use of bubble detectors in cold fusion tests is discussed.