A position-sensitive neutron spectrometer/dosimeter based on pressurized superheated drop (bubble) detectors

A position-sensitive, superheated emulsion chamber (SEC) is introduced for three-dimensional (3D) spectrometry and dosimetry of fast neutrons. The detector is based on a fine suspension of octafluorocyclobutane droplets emulsified in a tissue-equivalent gel. This gel is highly viscous and immobilizes the bubbles at the location of their formation. At an operating temperature of 35°C, the droplets are moderately superheated and their evaporation is nucleated by the densely ionizing products of fast neutron interactions, with no response to sparsely ionizing radiations. Thus, when a neutron emitter such as a 252Cf brachytherapy source is inserted in the SEC, a bubble distribution forms around the source and makes the neutron field visible. The SEC is operated at different externally applied pressures that correspond to different response thresholds. These responses form a virtually orthogonal matrix which is suitable for spectrometry and allows the use of effective few channel unfolding procedures, yielding the spatial dependence of absorbed dose and neutron energy spectra in-tissue. Bubble spatial distributions in the chamber can be determined through optical tomography or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A 3D, steady-state MRI method has proven particularly effective for this purpose. After the imaging, the SEC can be pressurized above the halocarbon vapor tension in order to recondense the bubbles to the liquid phase. Within a few minutes, the device is annealed and ready to be used again for repeated measurements improving the bubble counting statistics.