An estimation method of the spatial resolution for magnifying fast neutron radiography

Abstract

Fast neutron radiography (FNR) using divergent neutron beams has the characteristic to magnify small cracks in low-Z materials. For such magnifying FNR systems, a simple method was developed using Monte Carlo simulations to estimate the spatial resolution. The resolution degrading factors, including neutron source size, object thickness, and crosstalk in the detector, have been investigated in this method. The calculated results of this method compare favorably to independent estimations of various designs for the same FNR system. For a magnifying FNR system, a better spatial resolution can be expected with larger magnifications and smaller sources.