Neutron commissioning of the SPRINTER detector

The aim of the SPRINTER detector development is to produce a high counting rate detector capable of replacing the existing
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He tube currently used on the INTER reflectometer of the ISIS spallation neutron source. The detector utilises microstrip gas chamber (MSGC) technology as this affords a much greater rate capability compared to the single wire gas tube before saturation effects occur. The initial experimental testing of the detector on both the CRISP and INTER reflectometers at the ISIS spallation neutron source proved this indeed to be the case, but also highlighted a drop in neutron efficiency at neutron wavelengths greater than 2Å. The cause of this drop has been isolated to the materials and design of the field shaping electrode. Further measurements made on CRISP along with some Monte Carlo simulation have shown that re - designing the field shaper of the detector should `recover' the lost neutron events. The new field shaper has now been manufactured and integrated into the detector. Further neutron testing of the detector on INTER has shown that the lost neutrons have indeed been recovered.