Projection imaging with ultracold neutrons

• Published in: Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment Vol. 1003; no. C; p. 165306
• Main Authors: Kuk, K., Cude-Woods, C., Chavez, C.R., Choi, J.H., Estrada, J., Hoffbauer, M., Holland, S.E., Makela, M., Morris, C.L., Ramberg, E., Adamek, E.R., Bailey, T., Blatnik, M., Broussard, L.J., Brown, M.A.-P., Callahan, N.B., Clayton, S.M., Currie, S., Filippone, B.W., Fries, E.M., Geltenbort, P., Gonzalez, F., Hassan, M.T., Hayen, L., Hickerson, K.P., Holley, A.T., Ito, T.M., Liu, C.-Y., Merkel, P., Musedinovic, R., O’Shaughnessy, C., Pattie, R.W., Plaster, B., Salvat, D.J., Saunders, A., Sharapov, E.I., Sun, X., Tang, Z., Wei, W., Wexler, J.W., Young, A.R., Wang, Zhehui
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01-07-2021; Elsevier
• Subjects: 10B nanometer thin film; ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS; Atomic, Nuclear and Particle Physics; Direct detection; Low background; Neutron detection efficiency; Projection imaging; Ultracold neutrons; Low background; Direct detection; Neutron detection efficiency; Ultracold neutrons; 10B nanometer thin film; Projection imaging
• ISSN: 0168-9002; 1872-9576
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nima.2021.165306

Ultracold neutron (UCN) projection imaging is demonstrated using a boron-coated back-illuminated CCD camera and the Los Alamos UCN source. Each neutron is recorded through the capture reactions with10B. By direct detection at least one of the byproducts α, 7Li and γ (electron recoils) derived from the neutron capture and reduction of thermal noise of the scientific CCD camera, a signal-to-noise improvement on the order of 104 over the indirect detection has been achieved. Sub-pixel position resolution of a few microns is confirmed for individual UCN events. Projection imaging of test objects shows a spatial resolution less than 100μm by an integrated UCN flux one the order of 106 cm−2. The bCCD can be used to build UCN detectors with an area on the order of 1 m2. The combination of micrometer scale spatial resolution, low readout noise of a few electrons, and large area makes bCCD suitable for quantum science of UCN.