A low-mass neutron flux monitor for the n _TOF facility at CERN

A small-mass system has been developed for monitoring the flux of neutrons with energy up to 1 MeV at the new time-of-flight facility at CERN, n_TOF. The monitor is based on a thin Mylar foil with a 6Li deposit, placed in the neutron beam, and an array of Silicon detectors, placed outside the beam, for detecting the products of the 6Li(n, alpha)³H reaction. The small amount of material on the beam ensures a minimal perturbation of the flux and minimizes the background related to scattered neutrons. Moreover, a further reduction of the gamma-ray background has been obtained by constructing the...