Claims
- 1. A nuclear radiation detector comprising interfacing regions of scintillating material and non scintillating, hydrogenous, optically transparent material, wherein said components are geometrically configured and dimensioned to optimize detector efficiency to impinging radiation.
- 2. The detector of claim 1 wherein said regions of scintillating material and non scintillating, hydrogenous, optically transparent material are geometrically configured and dimensioned to optimize total detection efficiency.
- 3. The detector of claim 1 wherein said regions of scintillating material and non scintillating, hydrogenous, optically transparent material are geometrically configured and dimensioned to optimize detector spectroscopy efficiency.
- 4. The detector of claim 1 wherein said non scintillating, hydrogenous, optically transparent material and said scintillating material are selected so that said detector responds primarily to fast neutron radiation.
- 5. The detector of claim 1 wherein said regions of scintillating material and non scintillating, hydrogenous, optically transparent material are alternating, concentric, coaxial cylinders.
- 6. The detector of claim 1 wherein said regions of scintillating material and non scintillating, hydrogenous, optically transparent material are layered.
- 7. The detector of claim 1 wherein said regions of scintillating material are formed in a grid of perpendicular panels within a cylinder of said non scintillating, hydrogenous, optically transparent material.
- 8. The detector of claim 1 wherein said interfacing regions comprise:
(a) a plurality of axially parallel cylinders distributed within a bounding axially parallel cylinder defining interfaces; and (b) said interfaces comprise said scintillating material on one side and said non scintillating, hydrogenous, optically transparent material on an opposing side.
- 9. The detector of claim 1 wherein said detector is optically coupled to a device capable of converting light fluoresced from said scintillating material into an electrical signal responsive to said impinging radiation.
- 10. The detector of claim 1 wherein said regions of scintillating material and non scintillating, hydrogenous, optically transparent material are geometrically configured and dimensioned to optimize detector directional sensitivity.
- 11. The detector of claim 1 wherein response of said detector is transformed into measures of a component of a borehole environment.
- 12. A fast neutron detector comprising:
(a) at least one pair of alternating components of
(i) hydrogen rich, non scintillating and optically transparent material, and (ii) material which scintillates when irradiated with protons; wherein (b) dimensions of said components and the number of said components and the geometrical configuration of said components are selected to optimize efficiency of said detector for impinging fast neutrons for a predetermined detector size.
- 13. The fast neutron detector of claim 12 wherein said hydrogen rich, non scintillating and optically transparent material is plastic.
- 14. The fast neutron detector of claim 12 wherein said material which scintillates comprises ZnS.
- 15. The fast neutron detector of claim 12 wherein said components are bonded together to form said detector and wherein said detector is optically coupled to a device capable of converting light fluoresced from said material which scintillates into an electrical signal.
- 16. The fast neutron detector of claim 12 further comprising a solid cylinder core of said material which scintillates, and at least one pair of alternating, concentric cylinders of said material which scintillates and said hydrogen rich, non scintillating and optically transparent material.
- 17. The fast neutron detector of claim 12, wherein said detector is a component of an instrument used to measure parameters of earth formations penetrated by a borehole.
- 18. A method for detecting nuclear radiation comprising the steps of:
(a) combining alternating components of scintillating material and non scintillating, hydrogenous, optically transparent material to form a nuclear radiation detector; and (b) geometrically configuring and dimensioning said components to optimize response of said detector.
- 19. The method of claim 18 comprising the additional steps of geometrically configuring said components and dimensioning said components to optimize efficiency response of said detector.
- 20. The method of claim 18 comprising the additional steps of geometrically configuring said components and dimensioning said components to optimize spectroscopy response of said detector.
- 21. The method of claim 18 comprising the additional step of optically coupling said detector to a device capable of converting light fluoresced from said scintillating material into an electrical signal responsive to said nuclear radiation impinging upon said detector.
- 22. The method of claim 21 wherein said scintillating material and said non scintillating, hydrogenous, optically transparent material are oriented with respect to said impinging radiation so that said electrical signal exhibits a directional sensitivity to said impinging radiation.
- 23. The method of claim 18 comprising the additional step of measuring parameters of a borehole environ with said detector.
- 24. The method of claim 18 comprising the additional step of fabricating said components as cylinders.
- 25. The method of claim 24 comprising the additional step of fabricating said detector with a solid cylindrical core and at least one cylindrical component concentrically surrounding said core.
- 26. The method of claim 25 comprising the additional step of fabricating said core with said scintillating material.
- 27. The method of claim 21 comprising the additional steps of:
(a) concentrically surrounding said core with a plurality of alternating cylinders of said non scintillating, hydrogenous, optically transparent material and said scintillating material; and (b) fabricating an outermost of said cylinders from said non scintillating, hydrogenous, optically transparent material.
- 28. The method of claim 18 comprising the additional step using said detector to measure parameters of matter.
- 29. A method for detecting fast neutrons comprising the steps of:
(a) providing at least one pair of alternating components of
(i) hydrogen rich and optically transparent material, and (ii) material which scintillates when irradiated with protons thereby forming a fast neutron detector; and (b) selecting component sizes, numbers of components and geometrical configuration of components to optimize efficiency of said detector for impinging fast neutrons for a predetermined detector size.
- 30. The method of claim 29 including the additional steps of selecting said component sizes, said numbers of components and said geometrical configuration of components to optimize total detection efficiency of said detector for said impinging fast neutrons for a predetermined detector size.
- 31. The method of claim 29 including the additional steps of selecting said component sizes, said numbers of components and said geometrical configuration of components to optimize detector spectroscopy efficiency of said detector for said impinging fast neutrons for a predetermined detector size.
- 32. The method of claim 29 wherein said material which scintillates is ZnS.
- 33. The method of claim 29 wherein said hydrogen rich and optically transparent material is plastic.
- 34. The method of claim 32 wherein said ZnS is doped with Ag.
- 35. The method of claim 29 comprising the additional step of optically coupling said detector to a device capable of converting light fluoresced from said material which scintillates to an electrical signal responsive to said impinging fast neutrons.
- 36. The method of claim 35 wherein said device comprises a photomultiplier tube.
- 37. The method of claim 29 comprising the additional step bonding concentric cylinders of said hydrogen rich and optically transparent material and said material which scintillates together to form a right cylindrical detector.
- 38. The method of claim 37 further comprising the step of providing said right cylindrical detector with a solid cylinder core fabricated with said material which scintillates.
- 39. The method of claim 37 further comprising the step of providing said detector with an outermost concentric cylinder fabricated with said hydrogen rich and optically transparent material.
- 40. The method of claim 29 comprising the additional step of measuring parameters of a borehole environ with said detector.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is related to application Ser. No. ______ entitled “Geometrically Optimized Fast Neutron Detector” and application Ser. No. ______ entitled “Geometrically Optimized Fast Neutron Detector”.