Investigation of the Properties of ${\hbox {3}}^{\prime\prime}\times {\hbox {3}}^{\prime\prime}$ Different Scintillation Detectors for Neutron Activation Analysis Techniques

The quest for choosing the suitable detector for a specific homeland security application that takes an advantage of the neutron activation analysis technique prompted us to investigate properties of three 3^´´× 3^´´ cylindrical scintillation detectors. The emphasis was put on the detectors´ properties in the multi-MeV energy region and their response to the neutron radiation. In this work we compare the energy resolution, efficiency and timing properties of BGO, LaBr₃ and NaI(Tl) scintillation detectors coupled to Photonis spectrometric photomultiplier tubes.