Patent ID: 9018594
Filing Date: 2015-04-28
Classification: G01T

Abstract:
1. A thermal neutron detector, comprising: a planar detector housing having two glass panels spaced apart by a gas-tight seal to define a detection chamber, the detection chamber including an inert detection gas and one or more lithium foils each adhered to an inner surface of a respective glass panel to emit tritons into the detection chamber in response to incidence of thermal neutrons, the inert detection gas being ionizable by the tritons to generate drift electrons, the detector housing further including a planar array of wires spaced apart from the lithium foils, the wires having external portions extending outside the detection chamber through the gas-tight seal; and electronic bias and detection circuitry connected to the external portions of the wires and being operative to (a) apply a field voltage between the wires and the lithium foils to establish a drift electric field in the detection chamber effective to attract the drift electrons to the wires, and (b) detect electric signals generated by the drift electrons in the wires and interpret the electrical signals as incidence of thermal neutrons on the detector, wherein the detector uses a conductive metallic bus having an internal side in contact with the lithium foils and an external side electrically connected to a ground reference of the bias and detection circuitry.