A three Si detector system for personnal neutron dosimetry developed by means of Monte Carlo simulation calculations

The aim of this study was the development of an electronic detection system for personnel neutron dosimetry. Converter type silicon detectors were used for neutron detection. Measurements to obtain pulse height distributions were performed in neutron fields in the energy range from thermal to 14.8 MeV. They were compared with pulse height distributions calculated by means of Monte Carlo simulation programs, and their shapes and total count responses agreed very well. Based on these calculations a three-detector system for the measurement of the individual dose equivalent, Hp(10), was developed. Response functions of the system were calculated, and their dependence on angles from 0 deg. to 75 deg. was investigated. The detector system was exposed in several neutron fields and the agreement of the determined dose values with the reference dose values (0.1 mSv to 6 mSv) was better than a factor of 2, even for quasi-monoenergetic neutrons, and for angles in the range of 0 deg., 30 deg. and 60 deg. The detector system should be able to measure a dose range down to 10 μSv depending on the neutron energy. (author)