https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/s13360-026-07523-w
Regular Article
Design and commissioning of the miniBELEN neutron counter for the study of (
) reactions
1
Institut de Tècniques Energètiques (INTE), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), 08028, Barcelona, Spain
2
Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), CSIC - University Valencia, 46071, Paterna, Spain
3
Grupo de Física Nuclear (GFN), EMFTEL and IPARCOS, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), 28040, Madrid, Spain
4
Centro de Micro-Análisis de Materiales (CMAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), 28049, Madrid, Spain
5
Instituto de Estructura de la Materia (IEM), CSIC, 28006, Madrid, Spain
6
Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), 28040, Madrid, Spain
7
Departamento de Física Atómica, Molecular y Nuclear, Universidad de Sevilla (US), 41012, Sevilla, Spain
8
Centro Nacional de Aceleradores (CNA), (Universidad de Sevilla (US) - Junta de Andalucía - CSIC, 41092, Sevilla, Spain
a
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b
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Received:
12
June
2025
Accepted:
2
March
2026
Published online:
8
April
2026
Abstract
The miniBELEN detector is a moderated neutron counter based on the use of 
He tubes and high-density polyethylene as moderator. The detector has been designed to have a neutron detection efficiency that is nearly independent from the initial neutron energy for () reactions with alpha-particle energies up to 15 MeV. In order to achieve that an innovative design methodology based on the use of cadmium neutron filters has been used. Monte Carlo calculations of the detector response have been validated using a 
Cf fission source. Measurements of the relatively well-known () thick target yields on aluminum have been found to be consistent with data from previous works. A method has been developed to correlate the counting rate ring ratios with the mean neutron energy and validated using previous time-of-flight measurements of the aluminum () spectra and with a Cf fission source.
© The Author(s) 2026
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