NEXT: New Neutron Detector Design

In recent years, neutron detection has become more important in studying nuclear structure and processes. In beta delayed neutron emission, neutron energies provide important information about the parent nucleus and the decay process. Neutron energies are calculated by measuring neutron time of flight (ToF) between two detectors. The energy resolution is therefore dependent upon the ToF resolution and the position resolution within the detector. The Neutron dEtector with Tracking (NEXT) is a segmented neutron detector based on pulse shape discriminating (PSD) plastic coupled to segmented photomultipliers. The NEXT design will improve energy resolution by increasing particle localization and ToF resolution. Current research focuses on determining PSD and timing capabilities of different detector designs. Results of timing and PSD dependence on scintillator type and geometry will be shown.