Novel and efficient 10B lined tubelet detector as a replacement for 3He neutron proportional counters

This paper presents a novel and robust proportional detector which addresses the well publicized shortage of 3He gas by using a 10B lining applied to a tubelet configuration. The advantage of the tubelet structure is that it yields a detector maintaining the form factor of a conventional 3He tube whilst achieving a sensitivity of up to 75% of a 3 atm 3He device. The design and fabrication of the tubelet detector is presented and discussed with test data comparing the new detector to existing 3He and BF3 tubes. The application of the tubelet design to security and industrial applications including retro-fitting to existing portals and suitability for high integrity oil and gas installations is addressed.