Multilayer 10B-RPC neutron imaging detector

Resistive plate chambers (RPC) lined with 10B4C neutron converters is a promising cost-effective technology for position-sensitive thermal neutron detection capable to outperform 3He-based detectors in terms of spatial resolution and timing. However, as for the other types of gaseous detectors with a single layer of 10B4C at normal beam incidence, the detection efficiency to thermal neutrons of a single-gap 10B-RPC is only about 6%. Aiming to overcome this limitation, we introduce a multi-layer 10B-RPCs detector with a stack of ten double-gap hybrid RPCs. A description of the detector design and the results of its characterization performed at the TREFF neutron beamline at the FRM II neutron facility are presented. The results demonstrate that the detection efficiency exceeds 60% for neutrons with a wavelength of 4.7 A and the spatial resolution (FWHM) is about 0.25 mm and 0.35 mm in the X and Y direction, respectively.