Publications
Simulation of high-pressure micro-capillary 3He counters
Low-pressure (1–4 atm) cylindrical 3He counters are widely used as neutron detectors. These detectors are relatively large (1–2.5 cm diameter) and can be subject to noise induced by microphonics. Meanwhile, new advancements in micro-fabrication are enabling the manufacture of high-pressure (over 3000 atm) micro-capillaries (~100 µm diameter). Can these micro-capillaries be used as accurate and high-efficiency 3He counters? To answer these questions, we have developed a mathematical model/computer simulation. Our model shows that such capillaries have the potential for being high-efficiency neutron spectrometers capable of resolving not only energy, but also angle of incidence for fixed sources. Finally, we benchmark the model against published results and extrapolate spectra to the pressures of interest.