Development of personal neutron dosimeter with energy resolution ability

The prototype neutron personal dosimeter consists of three passive implanted planar silicon detectors. Polyethylene, B4C-containing polyethylene, and 6LiF act as neutron moderators, absorbers, and converters in front of each detector. This personal dosimeter has two modes of operation: real-time mode and unfolding mode. In real-time mode, it shows three neutron personal dose equivalent values, which represent the personal neutron equivalent of high energy (1–15 MeV), intermediate energy (1 × 10−3 MeV –1MeV), and low-energy (2.53 × 10−8 MeV −1 × 10−3 MeV), respectively. Unfolding method based on Genetic Algorithm was used to deduce neutron spectra from pulse height spectra of recoil proton. The dosimeter was calibrated in monoenergetic neutron fields and was tested in an 241Am–Be neutron field. •The personal dosimeter uses three layers of silicon detectors and moderator such as polyethylene, boron-containing polyethylene and 6LiF to change the detectors' responses to neutrons of different energies. The personal dosimeter can be used in a wide energy range from 0.025eV to 15 MeV, and is compact and lightweight.•The personal neutron dosimeter designed in this study has a real-time mode, which can give the personal dose equivalent of neutron in the three energy regions of low, medium and high energy respectively by simple calculation of the detector counts and responses.•The personal neutron dosimeter designed in this study has a spectrum resolution mode. By using the spectrum resolution software based on genetic algorithm, the neutron energy spectrum can be unfolded to reduce the measurement uncertainty.