The investigation of Am–Be neutron source shield effect used on landmine detection

In this work, experiments were carried out to investigate the possible use of neutron backscattering for the detection of sample buried in the soil. A series of Monte Carlo simulations were performed to study the complexity of the neutron backscattering process and to optimize the source shield thickness. The results of these simulations indicate that neutron source shield plays an important role for the detection of nonmetallic landmines. This paper experimentally demonstrates, by using suitable shield around Am–Be neutron source, the increase of signal-to-noise ratio up to 130%.