The radiation hardness of 6LiI:Ag for lunar surface neutron measurement from the LVRAD experiment

Sinchul Kang, Young Soo Yoon, Hongjoo Kim, Doohyeok Lee, Nguyen Thanh Luan, Hyeoungwoo Park, Nguyen Duy Quang, Phan Quoc Vuong, Young Jun Choi, Uk Won Nam, Won Kee Park, Jongdae Sohn, Sung Joon Ye, Sukwon Youn, Sunghwan Kim

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Lunar vehicle radiation dosimeter (LVRAD) is an experiment for lunar surface radiation measurement through Artemis missions. The LVRAD instrument will evaluate biological effects from radiation effects, search lunar surface water by neutron measurement, and investigate lunar surface radioactive substances by gamma-ray spectroscopy. The LVRAD instrument consists of the lunar radiation dosimeter and spectrometer, and the neutron spectrometer. The 6LiI:Ag scintillators are used for the thermal and epithermal neutron spectrometer from the LVRAD instrument. 6LiI:Ag measures neutron energy from 6Li(n, ɑ)3H reaction and it can separate neutron signals from gamma rays using pulse shape discrimination. Because of the radiation environment on a lunar surface, such as cosmic rays, and albedo neutrons, the radiation damage effects of 6LiI:Ag should be investigated for the LVRAD experiment. 45 MeV proton beam in the Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences is used for the radiation hardness test. The pulse height spectra from 511 keV gamma rays decrease by 13.2%, and the figure of merit values of pulse shape discrimination decrease by 8% when the absorbed dose is 3508 rad. The emission peak intensity at 495 nm decreases by ~ 30% when the absorbed dose is 1300 × 10 3 rad. The results show that 6LiI:Ag has high radiation hardness and can be used in high-radiation environments.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)96-101
Number of pages6
JournalJournal of the Korean Physical Society
Volume83
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 2023

Keywords

  • LVRAD
  • LiI:Ag
  • Radiation

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