Neutron detectors and related methods

1. A neutron detecting scintillator, comprising a plurality of glass microcapillary tubes loaded with a solid scintillator composition comprising a plastic scintillator and a neutron absorbing material.

2. The neutron detecting scintillator of claim 1 , wherein the neutron absorbing material comprises Li, B, Gd, Sm, Cd, Eu or Dy.

3. The neutron detecting scintillator of claim 1 , wherein the glass of the microcapillary tubes comprises a neutron absorbing material disposed therein.

4. The neutron detecting scintillator of claim 3 , wherein the neutron absorbing material disposed in the glass of the microcapillary tubes comprises Li, B, Gd, Sm, Cd, Eu or Dy.

5. The neutron detecting scintillator of claim 1 , further comprising a photodetector optically coupled to the scintillator.

6. The neutron detecting scintillator of claim 5 , further comprising a fast lens disposed between the photodetector and the scintillator.

7. The neutron detecting scintillator of claim 5 , further comprising a fiberoptic taper disposed between the photodetector and the scintillator.

8. The neutron detecting scintillator of claim 5 , further comprising a optically transparent adhesive disposed between the photodetector and the scintillator.

9. The neutron detecting scintillator of claim 5 , wherein the photodetector comprises a position sensitive photo-multiplier tube (PMT), a position sensitive avalanche photodiode (APD), an a-Si:H flat panel, a charge coupled device (CCD), or electron-multiplying CCD (EMCCD).

10. The neutron detecting scintillator of claim 1 , the scintillator composition further comprising an activator.

11. The neutron detecting scintillator of claim 10 , wherein the activator comprises 2,5-diphenyloxazol (PPO).

12. The neutron detecting scintillator of claim 1 , the scintillator composition further comprising a wavelength shifting element for shifting the scintillator emission spectrum.

13. The neutron detecting scintillator of claim 12 , wherein the wavelength shifting element comprises 1,4-bis-(5-Phenyl-2-oxazolyl)benzene.

14. The neutron detecting scintillator of claim 1 , the microcapillary tubes having diameters of about 10 μm to about 200 μm.

15. The neutron detecting scintillator of claim 1 , the microcapillary tubes having lengths of about 1 mm to about 30 mm.

16. The neutron detecting scintillator of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the loaded microcapillary tubes of the scintillator are oriented to form pixels with each pixel of a plurality substantially matching a different predetermined illumination direction of a radiation beam reaching the pixel.

17. A method of producing a neutron detecting scintillator having a plurality of glass microcapillary tubes loaded with a solid scintillator composition comprising a plastic scintillator and a neutron absorbing material, the method comprising:

preparing a solution comprising a monomer and a neutron absorbing element;

introducing the solution into a microcapillary tube of the plurality; and

polymerizing the solution within the microcapillary tube.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the monomer is styrene.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the neutron absorbing material comprises Li, B, Gd, Sm, Cd, Eu or Dy.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the polymerization comprises applying a time-temperature regime.

21. The method of claim 17 , further comprising adding an activator to the solution.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the activator comprises 2,5-diphenyloxazol (PPO).

23. The method of claim 17 , further comprising adding a wavelength shifting element.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the wavelength shifting element comprises 1,4-bis-(5-Phenyl-2-oxazolyl)benzene.

25. The method of claim 17 , wherein the polymerization occurs in an inert gas atmosphere.

26. The method of claim 17 , wherein the introducing the solution into a microcapillary tube comprises applying a pressure differential to opposed ends of the microcapillary tube.

27. The method of claim 17 , further comprising depositing a resin layer on at least one surface of the neutron detecting scintillator.

28. The method of claim 27 , further comprising polishing a surface of the scintillator to provide a substantially flat surface.

29. A method of producing a neutron detecting scintillator having a plurality of microcapillary tubes loaded with a solid scintillator composition comprising a plastic scintillator and a neutron absorbing material, the method comprising:

preparing a solution comprising a monomer and a neutron absorbing element;

introducing the solution into a tube;

drawing down the tube with solution to reduce a cross sectional area of at least a portion of the tube and form a microcapillary tube having solution disposed therein; and

polymerizing the solution within the microcapillary tube.

30. The method of claim 29 , wherein the monomer is styrene.

31. The method of claim 29 , wherein the polymerization comprises applying a time-temperature regime.

32. A method of producing a neutron detecting scintillator having a plurality of microcapillary tubes loaded with a scintillator composition comprising a plastic scintillator and a neutron absorbing material, the method comprising:

preparing a solution comprising a monomer and a neutron absorbing element;

introducing the solution into a tube;

polymerizing the solution within the tube;

drawing down the tube having polymerized solution to reduce a cross sectional area of at least a portion of the tube and form a microcapillary tube comprising a solid scintillator composition comprising plastic scintillator and neutron absorbing material.

33. The method of claim 32 , wherein the monomer is styrene.

34. The method of claim 32 , wherein the polymerization comprises applying a time-temperature regime.

35. A method of producing a neutron detecting scintillator, the method comprising:

preparing a solution comprising a monomer and a neutron absorbing element;

introducing the solution into a tube to form a fiber comprising solution disposed in a lumen of the tube;

assembling a plurality of fibers in a bunch;

drawing down the plurality of fibers to reduce a cross-sectional area of at least a portion of the tube and form a plurality of microfibers;

applying a time-temperature regime to the solution so as to polymerize the solution.

36. The method of claim 35 , wherein the monomer is styrene.