Neutron energy deposition mechanisms in silicon calorimetry

The energy deposition in a 300 μm silicon detector by neutrons from an Am241 endash Be source is studied for a variety of materials surrounding the detector. Using a hydrogen-rich coating CH2 in thin layers (1 mm) increases the mean energy deposit in the silicon by a factor of 3 compared to the bare detector. This enhances the possible response of a silicon sampling calorimeter to hadronic energy and makes possible the compensation of a silicon sampling structure. G-10 layers give a much smaller enhancement