Nanostructured neutron detectors with on chip integrated circuits for space flight monitoring

This paper reports on a complete integrated system for radiation detection in harsh field environments, for example monitoring radiation exposure for astronauts or detecting nuclear fissionable materials. Charge conversion nanoparticles doped into a fast electron scintillating resin produce optical pulses specific to neutron radiation. These pulses exit the material since the nanoparticles are smaller than the wavelength of light. An off the shelf Photo-Multiplier (PM) tube converts the created light pulses into a usable electrical signal. The signal is amplified by a charge sensitive preamplifier which integrates the current to produce a signal that represents the total charge deposited inside the scintillator. The signal is further shaped by circuitry and converted to a digital signal and stored by a microprocessor. Constructing integrated circuits for pulse shaping and power conversion allows for a fully functioning detector able to operate as a standalone unit.