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At least 397 records · Page 22

LaCl3:Ce Coincidence Signatures to Calibrate Gamma-ray Detectors

Abstract Calibrating the gamma-ray detection efficiency of radiation detectors in a field environment is difficult under most circumstances. To counter this problem we have developed a technique that uses a Cerium doped Lanthanum-Tri-Chloride (LaCl3:Ce) scintillation detector to provide gated gammas[ , ]. Exploiting the inherent radioactivity of the LaCl3:Ce due to the long-lived radioactive isotope 138La (t1/2 = 1.06 x 1011 yrs) allows the use of the 788 and 1436-keV gammas as a measure of efficiency. In this paper we explore the effectiveness of using the beta-gamma coincidences radiation LaCl3:Ce detector to calibrate the energy and efficiency of a number of gamma-ray detectors.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Advanced data readout technique for Multianode Position Sensitive Photomultiplier Tube applicable in radiation imaging detectors

Most of the best performing PSPMT tubes from Hamamatsu and Burle are designed with a pad-matrix anode layout. However, for obtaining a high resolution, a small-sized anode photomultiplier tubes are preferable; these tubes may have 64, 256 or 1024 anodes per tube. If the tubes are used in array to get a larger area detector, the number of analog channels may range from hundreds to thousands. Multichannel analog readout requires special electronics ICs, ASICs etc., which are attached to multichannel DAQ system. As a result, the data file and data processing time will be increased. Therefore, this readout could not be performed in a small project. Usually, most of radiation imaging applications allow the use of analog data processing in front-end electronics, significantly reducing the number of the detector's output lines to data acquisition without reducing the image quality. The idea of pad-matrix decoupling circuit with gain correction was invented and intensively tested in JLab. Several versions of PSPMT readout electronics were produced and studied. All developments were done and optimized specifically for radiation imaging projects. They covered high resolution SPECT, high speed PET, fast neutron imaging, and single tube and multi tube array systems. This paper presents and discusses the summary of the observed results in readout electronics evaluation with different PSPMTs and radiation imaging systems, as well as the advantages and limitations of the developed approach to radiation imaging detectors readout.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Radiation protection for high energy implantation of light ions in a production environment

In recent years the irradiation of semiconductor devices by light ions with high energies has increasingly become a well-established method to adjust charge carrier lifetimes in semiconductor devices. To introduce this process into the end of frontend production environment several measures in terms of radiation safety will have to be obeyed. An overview on thresholds for particles induced gamma emission will be given, starting with the {sup 11}B(p,{gamma}){sup 12}C reaction at 163keV. The environment has to be shielded from gamma rays, therefore those implanters have to be situated in adequate enclosures. Calculations for specific implant energies are done to define the thicknesses of tool enclosures. A set of radiation detectors monitors the values at well-defined positions online and radiation values are fed into a superordinate system that is directly coupled to the main power supply of the implanter.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Nuisance Alarm Reductions In Organic Scintillation Detector-Based Radiation Portal Monitors

A worldwide system of radiation portal monitors (RPMs) detects and deters the smuggling of special nuclear material (SNM) and other radiological sources that could be used by terrorist organizations in an improvised nuclear device or a radiological dispersal device. Nuisance alarms from non-SNM sources of radiation, however, account for the vast majority of RPM radiation alarms. We present research on a liquid organic scintillation detector-based RPM that reduces the impact of nuisance alarms through on-the- fly radionuclide identification. (authors)

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Response of asymmetric carbon nanotube network devices to sub-terahertz and terahertz radiation

Demand for efficient terahertz radiation detectors resulted in intensive study of the asymmetric carbon nanostructures as a possible solution for that problem. It was maintained that photothermoelectric effect under certain conditions results in strong response of such devices to terahertz radiation even at room temperature. In this work, we investigate different mechanisms underlying the response of asymmetric carbon nanotube (CNT) based devices to sub-terahertz and terahertz radiation. Our structures are formed with CNT networks instead of individual CNTs so that effects probed are more generic and not caused by peculiarities of an individual nanoscale object. We conclude that the DC voltage response observed in our structures is not only thermal in origin. So called diode-type response caused by asymmetry of the device IV characteristic turns out to be dominant at room temperature. Quantitative analysis provides further routes for the optimization of the device configuration, which may result in appearance of novel terahertz radiation detectors.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

SU-E-T-390: Characterization of the PTW Synthetic Diamond Detector for Radiation Therapy Measurements

Purpose: To investigate the dosimetric properties of new commercially available synthetic single crystal diamond detector under irradiation with therapeutic photon beams from linear accelerators. Methods: A single crystal diamond detector was tested using 6MV photon beam. The detector performance was evaluated for reproducibility, linearity with dose, dose rate dependence, angular dependence, collection efficiency, and measurement of output factors. Lateral field profiles, and percentage depth dose profiles were measured and compared against commercially available detectors. Results: Reproducibility of the detector measurement has a standard deviation of 0.1%. A good linear behavior of the detector response as a function of the delivered dose is observed with deviations below ±0.03% in the dose range from 0.1 to 5Gy. In addition, the detector response is dose rate independent, with deviations below 0.1% in the investigated dose rate range from 1 to 10Gy per min. Charge collection efficiency deviations were within 0.07% from 1 to 10Gy. No angular dependence along the radial direction while up to 1.3% angular dependence was observed in the axial direction. Percentage depth dose curves obtained from the diamond detector are in good agreement with the ones from the reference dosimeters. Lateral beam profile measurements show an overall good agreement among detectors, taking into account their respective geometrical features. The spatial resolution of solid state detectors is confirmed to be better than that of ionization chambers, being the one from the diamond detector comparable to that of the silicon diode. Conclusions: The observed dosimetric properties indicate that the tested diamond detector is a suitable candidate for clinical photon beam dosimetry. The agreement with reference dosimeters show that the detector is suitable for measurements for large fields as well as small fields as the ones used for stereotactic radiotherapy.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Halide Perovskites and Their Derivatives for Efficient, High‐Resolution Direct Radiation Detection: Design Strategies and Applications

Abstract The past decade has witnessed a rapid rise in the performance of optoelectronic devices based on lead‐halide perovskites (LHPs). The large mobility‐lifetime products and defect tolerance of these materials, essential for optoelectronics, also make them well‐suited for radiation detectors, especially given the heavy elements present, which is essential for strong X‐ray and γ‐ray attenuation. Over the past decade, LHP thick films, wafers, and single crystals have given rise to direct radiation detectors that have outperformed incumbent technologies in terms of sensitivity (reported values up to 3.5 × 10 6 µC Gy air −1 cm −2 ), limit of detection (directly measured values down to 1.5 nGy air s −1 ), along with competitive energy and imaging resolution at room temperature. At the same time, lead‐free perovskite‐inspired materials (e.g., methylammonium bismuth iodide), which have underperformed in solar cells, have recently matched and, in some areas (e.g., in polarization stability), surpassed the performance of LHP detectors. These advances open up opportunities to achieve devices for safer medical imaging, as well as more effective non‐invasive analysis for security, nuclear safety, or product inspection applications. Herein, the principles behind the rapid rises in performance of LHP and perovskite‐inspired material detectors, and how their properties and performance link with critical applications in non‐invasive diagnostics are discussed. The key strategies to engineer the performance of these materials, and the important challenges to overcome to commercialize these new technologies are also discussed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Semiconductor detectors with proximity signal readout

Semiconductor-based radiation detectors are routinely used for the detection, imaging, and spectroscopy of x-rays, gamma rays, and charged particles for applications in the areas of nuclear and medical physics, astrophysics, environmental remediation, nuclear nonproliferation, and homeland security. Detectors used for imaging and particle tracking are more complex in that they typically must also measure the location of the radiation interaction in addition to the deposited energy. In such detectors, the position measurement is often achieved by dividing or segmenting the electrodes into many strips or pixels and then reading out the signals from all of the electrode segments. Fine electrode segmentation is problematic for many of the standard semiconductor detector technologies. Clearly there is a need for a semiconductor-based radiation detector technology that can achieve fine position resolution while maintaining the excellent energy resolution intrinsic to semiconductor detectors, can be fabricated through simple processes, does not require complex electrical interconnections to the detector, and can reduce the number of required channels of readout electronics. Proximity electrode signal readout (PESR), in which the electrodes are not in physical contact with the detector surface, satisfies this need.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

MaGe-a Geant4-Based Monte Carlo Application Framework for Low-Background Germanium Experiments

We describe a physics simulation software framework, MAGE, that is based on the GEANT4 simulation toolkit. MAGE is used to simulate the response of ultra-low radioactive background radiation detectors to ionizing radiation, specifically the MAJ ORANA and GE RDA neutrinoless double-beta decay experiments. MAJ ORANA and GERDA use high-purity germanium technology to search for the neutrinoless double-beta decay of the 76 Ge isotope, and MAGE is jointly developed between these two collaborations. The MAGE framework contains simulated geometries of common objects, prototypes, test stands, and the actual experiments. It also implements customized event generators, GE ANT 4 physics lists, and output formats. All of these features are available as class libraries that are typically compiled into a single executable. The user selects the particular experimental setup implementation at run-time via macros. The combination of all these common classes into one framework reduces duplication of efforts, eases comparison between simulated data and experiment, and simplifies the addition of new detectors to be simulated. This paper focuses on the software framework, custom event generators, and physics list.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Michigan experimental multispectral scanner system

A functional description of a multispectral airborne scanner system that provides spectral bands along a single optical line of sight is reported. The airborne scanner consists of an optical telescope for scanning plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft and radiation detectors for converting radiation to electrical signals. The system makes a linear transformation of input radiation to voltage recorded on analog magnetic tape.

Hasell, P. G., Jr.↗

HX-POL-A Balloon-Borne Hard X-Ray Polarimeter

We report on the design and estimated performance of a balloon-borne hard X-ray polarimeter called HX-POL. The experiment uses a combination of Si and Cadmium Zinc Telluride detectors to measure the polarization of 50 keV-400 keV X-rays from cosmic sources through the dependence of the angular distribution of Compton scattered photons on the polarization direction. On a one-day balloon flight, HX-POL would allow us to measure the polarization of bright Crab-like sources for polarization degrees well below 10%. On a longer (15-30 day) flight from Australia or Antarctica, HX-POL would be be able to measure the polarization of bright galactic X-ray sources down to polarization degrees of a few percent. Hard X-ray polarization measurements provide unique venues for the study of particle acceleration processes by compact objects and relativistic outflows. In this paper, we discuss the overall instrument design and performance. Furthermore, we present results from laboratory tests of the Si and CZT detectors. Index Terms Gamma-ray astronomy, gamma-ray astronomy detectors, polarization, semiconductor radiation detectors, X-ray astronomy, X-ray astronomy detectors.

Krawczynski, H.↗

RadLab Platform: Investigating Space Radiation

The RadLab Project, initiated by the Open Science Data Repository (OSDR) for Space Biology at NASA Ames Research Center (osdr.nasa.gov), aims to be an ongoing compilation of radiation data relevant to human space flight. Sponsored by the NASA Human Research Program, RadLab serves as the latest database in this domain. RadLab is intended to serve the needs of both the space radiation detector and space radiation biology communities. The RadLab architecture is being designed to accommodate data both from low Earth orbit (LEO) and beyond low Earth orbit (BLEO). Our long-term vision entails the establishment of a sustainable database receiving continuous updates through APIs connecting to other databases, as well as individual investigator contributions via a RadLab submission portal, modeled on the OSDR (https://osdr.nasa.gov/bio/submission-sso-login.html). In addition to serving as a resource for space biologists and space radiation physicists, such a database would facilitate the deployment of AI algorithms to study the impact of location in space and within spacecraft on the ambient space radiation field. The ultimate goal is to develop predictive dosimetry algorithms for future BLEO missions.

Sylvain V Costes↗

Method and system for determining radiation shielding thickness and gamma-ray energy

A system and method for determining the shielding thickness of a detected radiation source. The gamma ray spectrum of a radiation detector is utilized to estimate the shielding between the detector and the radiation source. The determination of the shielding may be used to adjust the information from known source-localization techniques to provide improved performance and accuracy of locating the source of radiation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Development of an IAEA Training Course for Future U.S. Inspectors

U.S. citizens currently make up only 12% of the positions held in the IAEA’s Department of Safeguards. While the United States has maintained a high level of support for the Agency over the duration of its history, the number of American inspectors currently in the field does not reflect this level of involvement. As a result, the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Office of International Relations, as part of the Next Generation Safeguards Initiative (NGSI) mission, has tasked Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to develop a rigorous two week hands-on training program to encourage and operationally acclimatize U.S. Citizens who are interested in applying for IAEA inspector positions using IAEA authorized equipment at INL. Idaho National Laboratory is one-of-a-kind in its ability to train IAEA inspectors by including training at nuclear facilities on site and includes, for example, direct measurement of an active spent fuel storage cooling pond. This accredited course will introduce and train attendees on the major IAEA systems used in collecting nuclear safeguards data and performing safeguards inspections. Unique in the United States, these classes will give attendees direct hands-on training and will address equipment purpose, function, operating principles, application, and troubleshooting, based upon what would be expected of an IAEA Safeguards Inspector in the field and in the office. Upon completion, U.S. applicants will be better qualified to pursue a position in the IAEA Department of Safeguards Operational Divisions. In support, INL has recently established a new laboratory space to house state of the art nuclear safeguards instrumentation. Currently, equipment installed in the laboratory space includes attended systems: 3DLR (3-D Imaging Laser) for design information verification, a Digital Cerenkov Viewing Device for measurement of spent fuel, HM-5 handheld radiation detectors, quantitative neutron and gamma systems; unattended monitoring systems including: NGAM and MiniGRAND radiation systems and a DMOS camera system, and VACOSS/EOSS Optical Sealing Systems..

98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL P↗

Challenges Conducting a Radiological Site Assessment at a Remote Uranium Mine - 16259

A radiological site assessment was performed as part of an environmental site assessment at a former uranium mine located in the Northwest Territories of Canada. The only access to the site was by helicopter, so the field program was a limited to only a few days. Radiological surveys were conducted to assess conditions for safety of the field crew as well as to provide overland survey of uranium at the site. Limited radiological data existed for this site and the objective was to collect as much data as possible during the short field program. ScanPlot{sup SM} gamma spectroscopy land survey system was utilized for the overland survey utilizing a backpack system. ScanPlotSM platform utilized spectroscopy grade sodium iodide detectors configured for optimal spatial coverage and radiation detection. Survey locations were recorded using an on-board global positioning system (GPS). The radiological spectral data from the radiation detectors is automatically logged and linked with the GPS coordinates to an on-board computer to create iso-contour figures using a color scale to represent radioactivity levels (ground concentration by radionuclide). The advantage of utilizing the ScanPlotSM system for this assessment is that the nature and extent of uranium is provided without having to collect and assay a large number of samples during a short period of time. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Radiation Detection Theory [Slides]

This report identifies four types of radiation detectors, explains the operational theory of each detector, identifies the types of radiation each detector detects, each detector's dose rate range, and the advantages and disadvantages of each detector.

98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL P↗