Comparison of spectrum-unfolding performance of (EJ315) and (EJ309) liquid scintillators on measured 252Cf pulse-height spectra

Deuterated liquid scintillation detectors have shown promise as neutron spectrometers in absence of time-of-flight for identifying discrete neutron energy groups. Here, we investigate their advantage in spectrum unfolding of continuous Watt spectra similar to those emitted from special nuclear materials. We compare the deuterated EJ315 with the hydrogen-based EJ309 in identical Scionix detector assemblies. Measurements with a 252Cf neutron source are used as trial spectra. Results indicate an advantage for the deuterated EJ315. We use measured response matrices and a simple sequential-least-squares algorithm without regularization.