Feasibility of fiber-optic radiation sensor using Cerenkov effect for detecting thermal neutrons

Abstract

In this research, we propose a novel method for detecting thermal neutrons with a fiber-optic radiation sensor using the Cerenkov effect. We fabricate a fiber-optic radiation sensor that detects thermal neutrons with a Gd-foil, a rutile crystal, and a plastic optical fiber. The relationship between the fluxes of electrons inducing Cerenkov radiation in the sensor probe of the fiber-optic radiation sensor and thermal neutron fluxes is determined using the Monte Carlo N-particle transport code simulations. To evaluate the fiber-optic radiation sensor, the Cerenkov radiation generated in the fiber-optic radiation sensor by irradiation of pure thermal neutron beams is measured according to the depths of polyethylene.