Neutron spectroscopy: The case of the spherical proportional counter

Neutron spectroscopy is an invaluable tool for many scientific and industrial applications, including underground Dark Matter searches. Neutron-induced backgrounds produced by cosmic ray muons the cavern radioactivity can mimic expected signal. However, existing neutron detection methods have several drawbacks limitations, thus measurements remain elusive. A promising new approach to use of a nitrogen-filled spherical proportional counter that exploits $^{14}$N(n,$\alpha$)$^{11}$B $^{14}$N(n, p)$^{14}$C reactions. This safe, inexpensive, effective reliable technique. In this work, latest instrumentation developments are incorporated in compact detector operated at University Birmingham (UoB) with high gain gas pressure up 1.8\,bar. We demonstrate spectroscopic thermalised fast neutrons respectively from $^{241}$Am-$^9$Be source MC40 cyclotron facility UoB. Additionally, response simulated using framework developed UoB compared experimental results.