Neutron/gamma discrimination in a lithium-6 glass scintillator in an MWD tool

An enriched lithium-6 glass scintillator detector used to detect neutrons in a MWD (measurement-while-drilling) environment has been modeled using Monte Carlo methods. Model results were compared to experimental measurements. The objective of the comparison was to understand the spectra of both neutrons and background gammas in order to efficiently separate their respective contributions to detected spectra. Effects due to changes in the size and shape of the scintillator were also examined. It is concluded that excellent gamma-ray discrimination can be achieved for an enriched lithium-6 detector using spectral stripping methods. As a result, this particular detector is an excellent choice for neutron detection in an MWD environment. >