Pulsed neutron beam measurements with diamond detectors

Single crystal diamond (SDD) detectors coupled to fast digital data acquisition were tested as monitors of fast neutrons at the ISIS pulsed spallation neutron source. The ISIS pulsed neutron beams are generated by proton induced spallation on a tungsten tantalum target at 50 Hz repetition rate. The SDD signal was digitized at 1 GHz to reconstruct the deposited energy and time of flight (t(ToF)) of each detection event. The SDD system was used reliably and almost continuously over a period of several days. The results of the biparametric measurements are in qualitative agreement with predictions based on the proton beam pulse structure and the energy deposited in the SDD by the main neutron interaction processes. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.