Cylindrical Detector and Preamplifier Design for Detecting Neutrons

Tissue equivalent proportional counters are frequently used to measure dose and dose equivalent in mixed radiation fields that include neutrons; however, detectors simulating sites 1m in diameter underestimate the quality factor, Q, for low energy neutrons because the recoil protons do not cross the detectors. Proportional counters simulating different site-sizes can be used to get a better neutron dose equivalent measurement since the range and stopping power of protons generated by neutrons in the tissue-equivalent walls depend on the energy of the primary neutrons. The differences in the spectra measured by different size detectors will provide additional information on the incident neutron energy.