https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/s13360-025-06348-3
Regular Article
A new neutron area monitor with extended energy range
1
INFN – LNF, Via E. Fermi n. 54, 00044, Frascati, Rome, Italy
2
ENEA C.R. Frascati, Via E. Fermi n. 45, 00044, Frascati, Rome, Italy
3
CIEMAT, Av. Complutense n. 40, Moncloa - Aravaca, 28040, Madrid, Spain
4
DIGITECH srl, Via Boccioni n. 2, 56037, Peccioli, Pisa, Italy
5
ASNR - Autorité de sûreté nucléaire et de radioprotection, BP 3, 13115, Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, France
6
CERN, 1211, Geneva 23, Switzerland
Received:
21
February
2025
Accepted:
19
April
2025
Published online:
18
May
2025
Radiation protection monitoring in installations producing high-energy neutrons requires dedicated instrumentation, called extended range neutron area monitors (ERNAM). With the main purpose of increasing the sensitivity of this class of instrument, while keeping a good degree of isotropy, a new portable device called neutron extended counter for high energy (NECH) was prototyped. NECH is based on a Helium-3 proportional counter placed in the center of a cylindrical polyethylene moderator with truncated cone ends, embedding a lead insert to promote the detection of neutrons above 20 MeV. NECH responds nearly isotropically, in terms of ambient dose equivalent H*(10), up to GeV neutrons. Its sensitivity is about three times larger than common commercial instruments of the same class. This novel instrument was fully simulated with Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) and calibrated in radionuclide-based reference neutron fields at IRSN Cadarache and ENEA Frascati. Workplace testing was performed around the ENEA Frascati Neutron Generator operating at 2.5 MeV and, for the high-energy domain, at the CERN-EU high-energy Reference Field facility (CERF). This work presents the instrument, the simulated and measured dose equivalent response and the results of the workplace testing. The performance is compared with that of commercial ERNAMs.
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© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Società Italiana di Fisica and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2025
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
