Advancing neutron imaging techniques to highest resolution with fluorescent nuclear track detectors
Abstract Neutron imaging is a nondestructive and noninvasive inspection technique with a wide range of potential applications. However, the fundamentals of this technique still need to be improved, one of which involves achieving micrometer scale or even better resolution, which is a challenging tas...
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| Format: | Article |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-84591-x |
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| author | Abdul Muneem Junya Yoshida Takehiko R. Saito Hiroyuki Ekawa Masahiro Hino Katsuya Hirota Go Ichikawa Ayumi Kasagi Masaaki Kitaguchi Kenji Mishima Jameel-Un Nabi Manami Nakagawa |
| author_facet | Abdul Muneem Junya Yoshida Takehiko R. Saito Hiroyuki Ekawa Masahiro Hino Katsuya Hirota Go Ichikawa Ayumi Kasagi Masaaki Kitaguchi Kenji Mishima Jameel-Un Nabi Manami Nakagawa |
| author_sort | Abdul Muneem |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Neutron imaging is a nondestructive and noninvasive inspection technique with a wide range of potential applications. However, the fundamentals of this technique still need to be improved, one of which involves achieving micrometer scale or even better resolution, which is a challenging task. Recently, a high-resolution neutron imaging device based on fine-grained nuclear emulsions was developed. Although these detectors demonstrate exceptionally high resolutions, they have several limitations. Furthermore, these detectors require an additional chemical development process and are thus not reusable. To overcome these limitations, we investigated whether neutron imaging devices based on fluorescent nuclear track detectors were suitable for high-resolution neutron imaging. Fluorescent nuclear track detectors are reusable solid-state detectors that do not require additional chemical processing. A novel technique combining neutron imaging based on fluorescent nuclear track detectors with a neutron converter layer formed using $$^{10}$$ B $${_4}$$ C was developed with unprecedented resolution. The neutron imaging of a gadolinium-based grating with a periodic structure of 9 $$\upmu$$ m was performed using the proposed fluorescent nuclear track detector-based neutron imaging device, and the grating structure was successfully resolved. The measured resolution was 0.887 ± 0.009 $$\upmu$$ m, which is the 1 $$\sigma$$ 10–90% edge response obtained using optical images of the fluorescent nuclear track detectors. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-07af4ffd2e344c71af62429cafb0845c |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-07af4ffd2e344c71af62429cafb0845c2025-01-26T12:31:37ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-01-0115111110.1038/s41598-024-84591-xAdvancing neutron imaging techniques to highest resolution with fluorescent nuclear track detectorsAbdul Muneem0Junya Yoshida1Takehiko R. Saito2Hiroyuki Ekawa3Masahiro Hino4Katsuya Hirota5Go Ichikawa6Ayumi Kasagi7Masaaki Kitaguchi8Kenji Mishima9Jameel-Un Nabi10Manami Nakagawa11High Energy Nuclear Physics Laboratory, Cluster for Pioneering Research, RIKENHigh Energy Nuclear Physics Laboratory, Cluster for Pioneering Research, RIKENHigh Energy Nuclear Physics Laboratory, Cluster for Pioneering Research, RIKENHigh Energy Nuclear Physics Laboratory, Cluster for Pioneering Research, RIKENInstitute for Integrated Radiation and Nuclear Science, Kyoto UniversityHigh Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK)High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK)High Energy Nuclear Physics Laboratory, Cluster for Pioneering Research, RIKENDepartment of Physics, Nagoya UniversityHigh Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK)University of WahHigh Energy Nuclear Physics Laboratory, Cluster for Pioneering Research, RIKENAbstract Neutron imaging is a nondestructive and noninvasive inspection technique with a wide range of potential applications. However, the fundamentals of this technique still need to be improved, one of which involves achieving micrometer scale or even better resolution, which is a challenging task. Recently, a high-resolution neutron imaging device based on fine-grained nuclear emulsions was developed. Although these detectors demonstrate exceptionally high resolutions, they have several limitations. Furthermore, these detectors require an additional chemical development process and are thus not reusable. To overcome these limitations, we investigated whether neutron imaging devices based on fluorescent nuclear track detectors were suitable for high-resolution neutron imaging. Fluorescent nuclear track detectors are reusable solid-state detectors that do not require additional chemical processing. A novel technique combining neutron imaging based on fluorescent nuclear track detectors with a neutron converter layer formed using $$^{10}$$ B $${_4}$$ C was developed with unprecedented resolution. The neutron imaging of a gadolinium-based grating with a periodic structure of 9 $$\upmu$$ m was performed using the proposed fluorescent nuclear track detector-based neutron imaging device, and the grating structure was successfully resolved. The measured resolution was 0.887 ± 0.009 $$\upmu$$ m, which is the 1 $$\sigma$$ 10–90% edge response obtained using optical images of the fluorescent nuclear track detectors.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-84591-x |
| spellingShingle | Abdul Muneem Junya Yoshida Takehiko R. Saito Hiroyuki Ekawa Masahiro Hino Katsuya Hirota Go Ichikawa Ayumi Kasagi Masaaki Kitaguchi Kenji Mishima Jameel-Un Nabi Manami Nakagawa Advancing neutron imaging techniques to highest resolution with fluorescent nuclear track detectors Scientific Reports |
| title | Advancing neutron imaging techniques to highest resolution with fluorescent nuclear track detectors |
| title_full | Advancing neutron imaging techniques to highest resolution with fluorescent nuclear track detectors |
| title_fullStr | Advancing neutron imaging techniques to highest resolution with fluorescent nuclear track detectors |
| title_full_unstemmed | Advancing neutron imaging techniques to highest resolution with fluorescent nuclear track detectors |
| title_short | Advancing neutron imaging techniques to highest resolution with fluorescent nuclear track detectors |
| title_sort | advancing neutron imaging techniques to highest resolution with fluorescent nuclear track detectors |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-84591-x |
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