Neutron detection system for a muon catalyzed fusion experiment with an intense pulsed muon beam

We have developed a neutron detection system for muon catalyzed fusion (mu CF) experiments at the RIKEN-RAL Muon Facility (Nagamine et al., Hyperfine Interactions 85 (1994) 343; 101/102(1996) 521), where the world's strongest pulsed muon beam is available. This system has been used in mu CF experime nts (separately reported (Ishida et al., Hyperfine Interactions 118 (1999) 203; Kawamura et al., Hyperfine Interactions 118 (1999) 213; Kawamura et al ., Phys. Lett. B 465 (1999) 74; Matsuzaki et al., Hyperfine Interactions 11 8 (1999) 229; Nakamura et al., Hyperfine Interactions 118 (1999) 209; Nakam ura et al., Phys. Lett, B 473 (2000) 226)) in order to detect a 14.1 MeV ne utron emitted through a muon catalyzed dt-fusion process, and to determine the neutron yield (Y-n) and the neutron disappearance rate (lambda (n)), wh ich are the most fundamental observable quantities in the mu CF study. Although the utilization of an intense pulsed muon beam is essential for X- my detection against a huge bremsstrahlung background from tritium beta -de cay (Nagamine et al., Hyperfine Interactions 85 (1994) 343; 101/102 (1996) 521), a large number of emitted neutrons cause a pileup event in the detect ion system. We developed the neutron detection system, which had sufficient performance to determine Y-n and lambda (n) even in such a condition. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.