Neutron image characteristics of imaging plates using SrBPO:Eu photostimulabe phosphors

Sakasai, Kaoru  ; Katagiri, Masaki; Nakamura, Tatsuya  

As a new candidate for raw materials of a neutron imaging plate, characteristics of a SrBPO:Eu phosphor that has boron (B) in the base matrix as a neutron converter have been investigated. The phosphor has a strong merit that it generates photostimulated luminescence of 390 nm by illumination of red laser light after neutron irradiation. The emission and excitation wavelengths were the same as those of commercially available neutron imaging plate. Therefore, the authors have fabricated neutron imaging plates by painting the phosphor on Al plates. Neutron imaging experiments using the fabricated imaging plates were carried out with a commercially available image reader. A Li block was used as a camera subject in the experiments. As a result of the experiments, it was confirmed that the neutron image was clearly obtained, though the intensity of the image was not so high. The position resolution of 0.2 mm was obtained when the readout resolution of 50 m in the reader was used.