TY - JOUR
T1 - Characterization of CLLBC scintillation detector response to γ-rays and neutrons
AU - Arnqvist, Elias
AU - Oberstedt, Stephan
AU - Al-Adili, Ali
AU - Fontana, Cristiano Lino
AU - Borella, Alessandro
AU - Rossa, Riccardo
AU - Geerts, Wouter
AU - Macías, Miguel
AU - Vidali, Marzio
AU - Oberstedt, Andreas
AU - Lantz, Mattias
N1 - Score=10
Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 The Authors
PY - 2025/7
Y1 - 2025/7
N2 - The dual-mode elpasolite scintillation material CLLBC (Cs
2 LiLaBr
4.8 Cl
1.2:Ce) is capable of measuring both γ-rays and neutrons. The neutron detection capability spans from thermal energies up to about 10 MeV, making these detectors attractive options for studying prompt fission neutron spectra (PFNS). In this work, a comprehensive characterization of CLLBC detectors is performed. Three CLLBC detectors were characterized, in addition to three LaBr
3:Ce and two LaBr
3:Ce,Sr for comparison. For the best-performing CLLBC detector, the results indicate an energy resolution of 3.7% at E
γ=662 keV and an intrinsic timing resolution of 1.2 ns (FWHM) above E
γ=1MeV using
60Co. A γ-neutron separation figure-of-merit of 2.7 is obtained by means of pulse-shape discrimination. Tagged neutron time-of-flight measurements were conducted using a
241Am
9Be neutron source, by coincident detection of the 4.44 MeV γ-ray and the neutron, to determine the intrinsic neutron detection efficiency between 2–6 MeV. Neutron detection efficiencies of about 0.2% for the
6Li(n,t)
4He reaction and 1% for three types of (n,n′) reactions were obtained. Two of three investigated CLLBC detectors exhibit an energy peak asymmetry, resulting in worse performance, indicating scintillator quality issues and motivating further investigation. Future studies are anticipated using the
252Cf(sf) prompt fission neutron spectrum to determine neutron efficiencies for a wider range of neutron energies. Although observed in a previous study, neutron detection via
35Cl(n,p)
35S was not identified in this work but is planned to be determined using quasi-monoenergetic neutrons generated at the JRC MONNET facility.
AB - The dual-mode elpasolite scintillation material CLLBC (Cs
2 LiLaBr
4.8 Cl
1.2:Ce) is capable of measuring both γ-rays and neutrons. The neutron detection capability spans from thermal energies up to about 10 MeV, making these detectors attractive options for studying prompt fission neutron spectra (PFNS). In this work, a comprehensive characterization of CLLBC detectors is performed. Three CLLBC detectors were characterized, in addition to three LaBr
3:Ce and two LaBr
3:Ce,Sr for comparison. For the best-performing CLLBC detector, the results indicate an energy resolution of 3.7% at E
γ=662 keV and an intrinsic timing resolution of 1.2 ns (FWHM) above E
γ=1MeV using
60Co. A γ-neutron separation figure-of-merit of 2.7 is obtained by means of pulse-shape discrimination. Tagged neutron time-of-flight measurements were conducted using a
241Am
9Be neutron source, by coincident detection of the 4.44 MeV γ-ray and the neutron, to determine the intrinsic neutron detection efficiency between 2–6 MeV. Neutron detection efficiencies of about 0.2% for the
6Li(n,t)
4He reaction and 1% for three types of (n,n′) reactions were obtained. Two of three investigated CLLBC detectors exhibit an energy peak asymmetry, resulting in worse performance, indicating scintillator quality issues and motivating further investigation. Future studies are anticipated using the
252Cf(sf) prompt fission neutron spectrum to determine neutron efficiencies for a wider range of neutron energies. Although observed in a previous study, neutron detection via
35Cl(n,p)
35S was not identified in this work but is planned to be determined using quasi-monoenergetic neutrons generated at the JRC MONNET facility.
KW - CLLBC
KW - Elpasolite
KW - AmBe
KW - Neutron tagging
KW - Time-of-flight
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105002772050&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.nima.2025.170470
DO - 10.1016/j.nima.2025.170470
M3 - Article
SN - 0168-9002
VL - 1076
JO - Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
JF - Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
M1 - 170470
ER -