The response of various neutron dose meters considering the application at a high energy particle accelerator

The applicability of several neutron detectors for dose measurements at a neutron field typical for high energy particle accelerators is investigated. The response of four commercially available active neutron dose meters and two passive detectors to neutrons from a Am-Be(α,n) source and to neutrons at the CERN EU high energy reference field was determined experimentally and simulated using the Monte-Carlo code FLUKA. Fluence response functions and dose responses for the different detectors were calculated in the energy range between 1 keV and 10 GeV. The results show that the dose response to the high energy neutron field at CERN of the conventional rem-counters is lower by a factor of 2 to 2.5 if compared to the dose response to a Am-Be(α,n) neutron source. The rem-counters exhibiting an additional layer of lead inside the moderating structure showed dose readings which differ only up to 25 %. A thermoluminescent based neutron detector was tested for comparison. These passive detectors revealed a neutron response similar to a rem-counter and may be preferable for situations with highly pulsed beams.