Measurement of γ rays from ⁶LiF tile as an inner wall of a neutron-decay detector

A neutron lifetime measurement conducted at the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC) is counting the number of electrons from neutron decays with a time projection chamber (TPC). The γ rays produced in the TPC cause irreducible background events. To achieve the precise measurement, the inner walls of the TPC consist of 6Li-enriched lithium-fluoride (6LiF) tiles to suppress the amount of γ rays. In order to estimate the amount of γ rays from the 6LiF tile, prompt gamma ray analysis (PGA) measurements were performed using germanium detectors. We reconstructed the measured γ-ray energy spectrum using a Monte Carlo simulation with the stripping method. Comparing the measured spectrum with a simulated one, the number of γ rays emitted from the6LiF tile was (2.3+0.7-0.3) × 10-4 per incident neutron. This is 1.4+0.5-0.2 times the value assumed for a mole fraction of the 6LiF tile. We concluded that the amount of γ rays produced from the 6LiF tile is not more twice the originally assumed value.