Neutron backscattering (NB) sensors have been proposed for Humanitarian De-mining
applications. Recently, a prototype hand-held system integrating a NB sensor in a metal
detector has been developed within the EU-funded DIAMINE Project. The results obtained in
terms of performance of the NB systems and limitations in its use are presented in this work.
It is found that the performance of NB sensors is strongly limited by the presence of the soil
moisture and by its small-scale variations. The use of the neutron hit distribution to reduce …