Development of a high-performance microstrip gas chamber with a capability of track discrimination for neutron detection

Nakamura, Tatsuya  ; Yamagishi, Hideshi; Masaoka, Sei; Soyama, Kazuhiko  ; Aizawa, Kazuya  

A microstrip gas chamber (MSGC) with a capability of track discrimination for neutron detection was developed whilst ensuring the stability of the MSGC and fulfilling the specifications required for detectors using in high-flux reactors and high-intensity pulsed-neutron sources. The developed two-dimensional detector system comprises a MSGC with individual signal channel read-outs and a new instrument system with a capability of secondary-particle discrimination (InSPaD). The InSPaD identifies the particles -proton and triton- created in the nuclear reaction by a simple, fast and cost-effective method using the difference in the track length, and it enables a small amount of heavy gas such as with helium-3 to be used as the filling gas whilst achieving a high spatial resolution.