TY  - JOUR
A1  - Weimar, Jannis
A1  - Köhli, Markus
A1  - Budach, Christian
A1  - Schmidt, Ulrich
T1  - Large-scale boron-lined neutron detection systems as a 3He alternative for Cosmic Ray Neutron Sensing
JF  - Frontiers in water
N2  - Cosmic-Ray neutron sensors are widely used to determine soil moisture on the hectare scale. Precise measurements, especially in the case of mobile application, demand for neutron detectors with high counting rates and high signal-to-noise ratios. For a long time Cosmic Ray Neutron Sensing (CRNS) instruments have relied on He-3 as an efficient neutron converter. Its ongoing scarcity demands for technological solutions using alternative converters, which are Li-6 and B-10. Recent developments lead to a modular neutron detector consisting of several B-10-lined proportional counter tubes, which feature high counting rates via its large surface area. The modularity allows for individual shieldings of different segments within the detector featuring the capability of gaining spectral information about the detected neutrons. This opens the possibility for active signal correction, especially useful when applied to mobile measurements, where the influence of constantly changing near-field to the overall signal should be corrected. Furthermore, the signal-to-noise ratio could be increased by combining pulse height and pulse length spectra to discriminate between neutrons and other environmental radiation. This novel detector therefore combines high-selective counting electronics with large-scale instrumentation technology.
KW  - CRNS
KW  - neutron
KW  - detector
KW  - soil moisture
KW  - readout electronics
KW  - boron-10
KW  - helium-3 alternative
Y1  - 2020
U6  - https://doi.org/10.3389/frwa.2020.00016
SN  - 2624-9375
VL  - 2
PB  - Frontiers Media
CY  - Lausanne
ER  -