title: The design of a portable cosmic ray three-band neutron detector.
abstract: The design of a portable three-band cosmic-ray neutron detector is reported in this article. This instrument has been designed to characterise cosmic ray neutron fields in the upper atmosphere and in cosmic reference field facilities. The design utilises a spherical moderator with a layer of spallation material covering a central (3)He proportional counter. The instrument incorporates twelve lithium-coated diodes, six on the outside of the polyethylene layer and six placed within the structure. The dimensions, materials and arrangement of these in the instrument have been optimised with MCNPX to provide a compromise between the requirements of portability and spectral response.
authors.affiliation: Nuclear and Biomedical Engineering Research Group, Department of Engineering, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YR, UK.
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Monk
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Joyce
mesh_terms: D003359:Cosmic Radiation; D008094:Lithium / Q000737:chemistry; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D009502:Neutrons; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D012825:Silicon / Q000737:chemistry; D013057:Spectrum Analysis
chemical_list: D008094:Lithium; D012825:Silicon