Comparison between image plate and Micromegas detector for thermal neutron tomography

The topic of this study is to build a 2D or 3D thermal neutron tomography system with a good spatial resolution (better than σ = 100 μm) for imaging of objects of some centimeters diameter. Two ways of detection have been investigated: Image Plate technology and Micromegas, a detector developed for particle physics, with a 50 μm thick foil of Lithium as neutron converter. With the classical Image Plate technology, a spatial resolution around 50 μm has been obtained but it would be very difficult to develop an industrial tomography system based on this kind of detector. In the case of a Micromegas detector, with one-dimensional readout, a 60 μm spatial resolution has been reached. This result, together with an easier industrialization make the Micromegas technology very promising for thermal neutron tomography.