Applications
Neutron detection is used for varying purposes. Each application has different requirements for the detection system.
- Reactor instrumentation: Since reactor power is essentially linearly proportional to the Neutron flux, neutron detectors provide an important measure of power in nuclear power and research reactors. Boiling water reactors may have dozens of neutron detectors, one per fuel assembly. Most neutron detectors used in thermal-spectrum nuclear reactors are optimized to detect thermal neutrons.
- Particle physics: Neutron detection has been proposed as a method of enhancing neutrino detectors.
- Materials science: Elastic and inelastic neutron scattering enables experimentalists to characterize the morphology of materials from scales ranging from Angstroms to about one micron.
- Radiation safety: Neutron radiation is a hazard associated with neutron sources, space travel, accelerators and nuclear reactors. Neutron detectors used for radiation safety must take into account the relative biological effectiveness (i.e., the way damage caused by neutrons varies with energy).
- Cosmic ray detection: Secondary neutrons are one component of particle showers produced in Earth's atmosphere by cosmic rays. Dedicated ground-level neutron detectors, namely neutron monitors, are employed to monitor variations in cosmic ray flux.
- Special nuclear material detection: Special nuclear materials (SNM) such as Uranium-233 and Plutonium-239 decay by spontaneous fission, yielding neutrons. Neutrons detectors can be used for monitor for SNM in commerce.
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