Monte Carlo analysis of a mercuric iodide neutron/gamma detector

The response to neutrons of a 27/spl times/27/spl times/2.6 mm Hgl/sub 2/ detector covered on one face with a layer of boron was modeled with MCNP5 and MCNP-PoliMi. It was found that the detection of the 478 keV gamma ray from the /sup 10/B(n,/spl alpha/) and the 368 keV gamma ray from the /sup 199/Hg(n,/spl alpha/) could be used to estimate the average energy of incident neutrons and that these gamma rays could be used to distinguish between unmoderated radioactive and fission sources.