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W-PIE

W-PIE
WIDE ENERGY ACTIVE NEUTRON SPECTROMETER

The W-PIE neutron spectrometer is a unique device designed for on-line neutron spectrometry measurements.

The system features an extremely high counting efficiency, making it suitable to perform neutron spectrometry and absolute flux measurement for applications such as:

  • homeland security
  • cargo inspections
  • calibration laboratories
  • background suppression in low-background high-energy physics experiments
  • cosmic ray neutron sensing (CRNS) in agriculture
  • snow water equivalent (SWE) measurements in hydrology

 
W-PIE employs 6Li as neutron converter, 4He as scintillating medium, and 24 independent low-voltage SiPMs as photosensitive components. The detector is surrounded by increasingly thick moderating assemblies, defining 4 detection sub-volumes each optimised for a specific spectral region. Signals are acquired and analysed by the built-in electronics and unfolding algorithm, or they can be saved as raw data for off-line analysis.

The response function of W-PIE, calculated via Monte Carlo simulations, is available for either on-line and off-line analysis. The response function and unfolding algorithm have been validated after thoroughly testing with reference radioactive sources, with quasi-monoenergetic neutron fields, and in the high-energy reference neutron field facility CERF at CERN.


Additional Info

  • Main features:
    • All-in-one, single-assembly neutron spectrometer
    • Extremely high counting efficiency
    • Field-oriented, outdoor applications
    • 3He-free, low-voltage SiPM-based readout
    • Automatic, on-line spectrum unfolding
    • From thermal neutrons up to 10 GeV (or 100 MeV)
    • Extreme sensitivity: up to 4 kcph background
Published in Spectrometry systems
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