[BURMESTER, Jörg, NOWAK, Gregor Jacek, PLEWKA, Jörn, JACOBSEN, Christian, GREGERSEN, Carsten Peter, PULS, Wolfgang, BELDOWSKI, Andreas, SIEMERS, Dirk Jan, KIEHN, Rüdiger, KLEEBAND, Sven, BÖTTCHER, Thorsten, MUSIELAK, Gerd, SITKO, Erik, HEDDE, John] DE,21502 Geesthacht,Max-Planck-Straße 1;

[Jörg Burmester, Gregor Jacek Nowak, Jörn Plewka, Christian Jacobsen, Carsten Peter Gregersen, Wolfgang Puls, Andreas Beldowski, Dirk Jan Siemers, Rüdiger Kiehn, Sven Kleeband, Thorsten Böttcher, Gerd Musielak, Erik Sitko, John Hedde] DE DE,Geesthacht The present invention relates to a neutron detector that for the first time permits the construction of large detector areas of approximately 1 m2 to 2 m2, with a spatial resolution of the neutrons of under 2 mm. It is additionally possible in the case of the modular construction in a stack arrangement to attain detection sensitivities that are comparable to 3He counter tubes (ca. 60%) or, with a greater number of detector elements, higher. By using thin substrate plates—such as aluminum sheets—and omission of the external pressure vessels, the neutron detectors are relatively lightweight despite their large dimensions and can be produced inexpensively. The neutron detector comprises at least one module (detector element) comprising in each case two mutually parallel substrate plates made from a first neutron-transparent material, with said plates being spanned in each case on a self-supporting frame made of a second neutron-transparent material and being coated with a neutron absorber material on a side that is remote from the self-supporting frame, wherein the side that is coated with a neutron absorber material faces the respectively other substrate plate on an inner side, and a gas-tight measurement space, which is filled with a counter gas and in which two electrode wire planes, arranged parallel to the substrate plates, having electrode wires that run parallel in the respective electrode wire planes are arranged and in which the electrode wire planes are spaced apart from one another by way of a spacer frame, is defined between the mutually facing, coated inner sides of the substrate plates. The modules can be arranged successively in a stack arrangement.

[BURMESTER, Jörg, NOWAK, Gregor Jacek, PLEWKA, Jörn, JACOBSEN, Christian, GREGERSEN, Carsten Peter, PULS, Wolfgang, BELDOWSKI, Andreas, SIEMERS, Dirk Jan, KIEHN, Rüdiger, KLEEBAND, Sven, BÖTTCHER, Thorsten, MUSIELAK, Gerd, SITKO, Erik, HEDDE, John] DE,21502 Geesthacht,Max-Planck-Straße 1;

[Burmester, Jörg, Nowak, Gregor Jacek, Plewka, Jörn, Jacobsen, Christian, Gregersen, Carsten Peter, Puls, Wolfgang, Beldowski, Andreas, Siemers, Dirk Jan, Kiehn, Rüdiger, Kleeband, Sven, Böttcher, Thorsten, Musielak, Gerd, Sitko, Erik, Hedde, John] DE,21502 Geesthacht,Max-Planck-Straße 1;

[BURMESTER, Jörg, NOWAK, Gregor Jacek, PLEWKA, Jörn, JACOBSEN, Christian, GREGERSEN, Carsten Peter, PULS, Wolfgang, BELDOWSKI, Andreas, SIEMERS, Dirk Jan, KIEHN, Rüdiger, KLEEBAND, Sven, BÖTTCHER, Thorsten, MUSIELAK, Gerd, SITKO, Erik, HEDDE, John] {Max-Planck-Straße 121502 Geesthacht;DE(DE)(DE)} The present invention relates to a neutron detector which, for the first time, facilitates the construction of large detector areas of approximately 1 m2 to 2 m2 with a spatial resolution of the neutrons of less than 2 mm. In the case of the modular construction in a stacked arrangement, it is moreover possible to obtain detection sensitivities that are comparable with 3He counting tubes (approximately 60%) or higher, with, at the same time, a greater number of detector elements. By using thinner substrate plates – such as aluminium sheets – and as a result of the omission of the outer pressure containers, the neutron detectors are comparatively light despite the large dimensions and they can be produced in a cost-effective manner. The neutron detector comprises at least one module (detector element), which comprises two substrate plates that are arranged in parallel with respect to one another and that are made of a first neutron-transparent material, said plates each being spanned on a self-supporting frame made of a second neutron-transparent material and coated with a neutron-absorber material on a side facing away from the self-supporting frame, wherein the sides coated with the neutron-absorber material of the respective other substrate plate face one another on an inner side and a gastight measurement space that is filled with a counting gas is defined between the mutually facing, coated inner sides of the substrate plates, in which two electron wire planes that are arranged parallel to the substrate plates and that have electrode wires that extend in parallel in the respective electrode wire plane are arranged and the electrode wire planes are spaced apart from one another by means of a spacer frame. The modules can be strung together in a stacked arrangement. The present invention relates to a neutron detector which, for the first time, facilitates the construction of large detector areas of approximately 1 m2 to 2 m2 with a spatial resolution of the neutrons of less than 2 mm. In the case of the modular construction in a stacked arrangement, it is moreover possible to obtain detection sensitivities that are comparable with 3He counting tubes (approximately 60%) or higher, with, at the same time, a greater number of detector elements. By using thinner substrate plates – such as aluminium sheets – and as a result of the omission of the outer pressure containers, the neutron detectors are comparatively light despite the large dimensions a

[BURMESTER JÖRG, NOWAK GREGOR JACEK, PLEWKA JÖRN, JACOBSEN CHRISTIAN, GREGERSEN CARSTEN PETER, PULS WOLFGANG, BELDOWSKI ANDREAS, SIEMERS DIRK JAN, KIEHN RÜDIGER, KLEEBAND SVEN, BÖTTCHER THORSTEN, MUSIELAK GERD, SITKO ERIK, HEDDE JOHN]

[Jörg Burmester, Gregor Jacek Nowak, Jörn Plewka, Christian Jacobsen, Carsten Peter Gregersen, Wolfgang Puls, Andreas Beldowski, Dirk Jan Siemers, Rüdiger Kiehn, Sven Kleeband, Thorsten Böttcher, Gerd Musielak, Erik Sitko, John Hedde] DE DE,Geesthacht The present invention relates to a neutron detector that for the first time permits the construction of large detector areas of approximately 1 m2 to 2 m2, with a spatial resolution of the neutrons of under 2 mm. It is additionally possible in the case of the modular construction in a stack arrangement to attain detection sensitivities that are comparable to 3He counter tubes (ca. 60%) or, with a greater number of detector elements, higher. By using thin substrate plates—such as aluminum sheets—and omission of the external pressure vessels, the neutron detectors are relatively lightweight despite their large dimensions and can be produced inexpensively. The neutron detector comprises at least one module (detector element) comprising in each case two mutually parallel substrate plates made from a first neutron-transparent material, with said plates being spanned in each case on a self-supporting frame made of a second neutron-transparent material and being coated with a neutron absorber material on a side that is remote from the self-supporting frame, wherein the side that is coated with a neutron absorber material faces the respectively other substrate plate on an inner side, and a gas-tight measurement space, which is filled with a counter gas and in which two electrode wire planes, arranged parallel to the substrate plates, having electrode wires that run parallel in the respective electrode wire planes are arranged and in which the electrode wire planes are spaced apart from one another by way of a spacer frame, is defined between the mutually facing, coated inner sides of the substrate plates. The modules can be arranged successively in a stack arrangement.