Use of Zirconium-CR-39 based detector for high energy neutron dosimetry

Neutron dosimetry in high energy accelerators and synchrotrons is a challenging field as the neutron spectrum varies from thermal, to fast and high-energy neutrons extending up to hundreds of MeV. Solid State Nuclear Track Detectors (SSNTDs) have been increasingly used in numerous fields related to nuclear physics. CR-39 with 1 mm polyethylene has a flat response from 100 keV to 10 MeV. Above 10 MeV, the response starts reducing and at 14 MeV it drops by 40%. The detectable neutron energy range can be increased by modification in the radiator/convertor used along with CR-39. Zirconium (Zr) metal has been found to show (n,2n) cross-section for energies above 10 MeV. A portable neutron counter was modeled for high-energy neutron measurement with Zirconium (Zr) of 1 cm thick used as the converter outside a spherical HDPE shell. This paper demonstrates the enhancement of neutron response using Zr in conjunction with CR-39 in 20 MeV neutron beam with both theoretical and experimental studies