Towards real time neutron flux measurement in the thermal column of a research reactor

Active neutron flux measurements are crucial in many different applications, such as non-destructive material testing, soilwater content determination or in radiation therapy. Another field of application is active neutron flux monitoring in (research) reactors during experiments. Many commercially available neutron detectors use 3He as a neutron converter to detect indirectly ionizing neutrons, as it exhibits a high neutron interaction cross-section. However, the increasing scarcity and cost of 3He have motivated the search for alternative neutron detection technologies. In this thesis, a novel silicon-based detector prototype with interchangeable neutron converter carrier plates is developed, characterized, and tested in laboratory con- ditions with a low flux neutron source at TU Dortmund University. Finally, an improved prototype detector is tested in the thermal column of a Training Research Isotopes General Atomics (TRIGA) reactor. A pulse shape discrimination algorithm in the signal processing is applied to distinguish between neutron and background radiation. The results obtained demonstrate the potential of silicon-based neutron detectors for reactor monitoring.