Design of a new CCD-camera neutron radiography detector

A new electronic neutron radiography detector has been designed at the Paul Scherrer Institute with the aim of providing a tool for scientific and industrial radiography applications requiring high-quantitative precision. The basic principle of the detector is the combination of a CCD-camera with a neutron-sensitive scintillator screen. The light from the screen is reflected to the camera by a mirror and focused on the CCD-chip by a lens. Shielding components to protect the camera from radiation damage include radiation protection windows located in the optical path between mirror and lens. The whole assembly is placed in a detector box which functions as a positioning device and light-tight enclosure. The detector has been optimized for use at the future neutron radiography station at the continuous spallation source SINQ but can also be moved easily to other neutron sources. The detector has been tested at several facilities and its performance has been studied regarding dynamic range and spatial resolution as well as the reduction of interference factors.