Neutron measurements with lanthanum–bromide scintillation detectors—A first approach

In this paper we report on the measurement of γ - rays using a 2 in.×2 in. LaBr3:Ce scintillation detector. The γ - rays were emitted in the spontaneous fission of 252Cf and detected in coincidence with fission fragments. After presenting some of the properties of the detector, we show how well γ - rays produced in different reactions may easily be distinguished by their characteristic time-of-flight. Then we focus on the analysis of γ - rays from inelastically scattered neutrons in the scintillation crystal and demonstrate how this information may be used for neutron spectroscopy. We determine the neutron detection efficiency and compare it to the result of calculations based on existing reaction cross-sections. Finally, we discuss the detection performance in relation to other detector systems commonly used for neutron monitoring.