The Strategy of Equipping the PIK Reactor Experimental Stations with Neutron Detection Systems

The instrumental facility of the PIK reactor (Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute of the National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute,” Russia) was analyzed for compliance of its neutron detectors with all the required operational parameters based on an analysis of detector instruments and strategic trends of detector development in leading neutron research centers of the world and in similar centers in Russia for over 60 years. An attempt is made to predict the advancement of the neutron detector technology for the next 10 to 15 years. A strategy is outlined as to how these requirements might be tackled by novel detector developments. This strategy is based on the ability to produce optimally performing detectors that can make the PIK reactor instruments the world leading.