Neutron detection and identification using ZnS:Ag/6LiF in segmented antineutrino detectors

Antineutrino detection using inverse beta-decay conversion has demonstrated capability to measure nuclear reactor power and fissile material content for nuclear safeguards. Current efforts focus on aboveground deployment scenarios, for which a successful background rejection strategy will be needed to measure the anticipated antineutrino event rates. In this paper, we report on initial studies to quantify the intrinsic capture efficiency and particle identification capabilities of a new scintillation-based segmented design that uses layers of ZnS:Ag/6LiF to capture and identify neutrons created in the inverse beta-decay reaction. Laboratory efficiency measurements are consistent with MCNP5 calculations, estimating 6Li neutron conversion efficiency above 50% for practical full-scale detector configurations.