Double-GEM based thermal neutron detector prototype

The Helium-3 shortage and the growing interest in neutron science constitute a driving factor in developing new neutron detection technologies. In this work, we report the development of a double-GEM detector prototype that uses a (B4C)-B-10 layer as a neutron converter material. GEANT4 simulations were performed predicting an efficiency of (3.14 +/- 0.10)%, agreeing within 2.7 sigma with the experimental and analytic detection efficiencies obtained by the detector when tested in a 41.8 meV thermal neutron beam. The detector is position sensitive, equipped with a 256+256 strip readout connected to resistive chains, and achieves a spatial resolution better than 3 mm. The gain stability over time was also measured with a fluctuation of about 0.2% h(-1) of the signal amplitude. A simple data acquisition with only 5 electronic channels is sufficient to operate this detector.