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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 595 records · Page 33
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1970

A solenoid failure detection system for cold gas attitude control jet valves

The development of a solenoid valve failure detection system is described. The technique requires the addition of a radioactive gas to the propellant of a cold gas jet attitude control system. Solenoid failure is detected with an avalanche radiation detector located in the jet nozzle which senses the radiation emitted by the leaking radioactive gas. Measurements of carbon monoxide leakage rates through a Mariner type solenoid valve are presented as a function of gas activity and detector configuration. A cylindrical avalanche detector with a factor of 40 improvement in leak sensitivity is proposed for flight systems because it allows the quantity of radioactive gas that must be added to the propellant to be reduced to a practical level.

Johnston, P. A.↗
NASA NTRS2023

SMD Technology Highlights

Three technology highlights from the Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Astrophysics Division, Biological and Physical Sciences Division, and Planetary Science Division are featured: a) A new class of X-ray detector with unprecedented energy resolution and array size could help transform our understanding of the cosmos through unparalleled vision into the otherwise invisible universe. b) An autonomous microfluidic culturing system with CubeSat heritage is teaming up with two state-of-the-art radiation detectors to measure how biology responds to the radiation and reduced gravity environment on the lunar surface. c) Several core technologies developed via the Hot Operating Temperature Technology (HOTTech) Program were recently tested in the Glenn Extreme Environment Rig (GEER), which simulates the conditions on the surface of Venus.

yeast↗
NASA NTRS1968

Silicon surface barrier detectors used for liquid hydrogen density measurement

Multichannel system employing a radioisotope radiation source, strontium-90, radiation detector, and a silicon surface barrier detector, measures the local density of liquid hydrogen at various levels in a storage tank. The instrument contains electronic equipment for collecting the density information, and a data handling system for processing this information.

James, D. T.↗
DOE OSTI2016

Deadtime Calculations of Liquid Scintillator Neutron Detector Using Attenuation Law

Scientists have been working on deadtime problems for radiation detectors since 1940's. In detector systems, a minimum time must separate two different events before they can be measured individually. That minimum time interval is called to be deadtime of detector system. There are two commonly deadtime models: the paralyzing and the non-paralyzing models. Paralyzing model assumes that each event during the deadtime will reset the deadtime and deadtime extension will depend on the count rate. According to the non-paralyzing model, deadtime is fixed after each detected event and all events occurring during deadtime are lost. In this study, deadtime measurements have been obtained for an N-Probe fast neutron (NE-213 Liquid Scintillation) detector manufactured by BTI (Bubble Technology Industries) using a combination of the attenuation law and the assumption of ideal paralyzing and non-paralyzing method. Bubble Technology Industries (BTI) has manufactured a portable neutron scintillation spectrometer (N-Probe) with potential applications at nuclear reactor facilities, waste processing operations, and spent fuel storage areas. The deadtime of the N-Probe detector is not provided by the manufacturer; BTI, and there is no other study published on the N-Probe detector' deadtime. Since the detector will be used in future nuclear fuel investigations, it is important to determine the detector' deadtime for accurate nuclear fuel analysis. The deadtime of the BTI N-Probe was examined using different thicknesses of Plexiglas at the Missouri University of Science and Technology Reactor (MSTR) using attenuation law and average macroscopic cross-section of Plexiglas defined by both paralyzing and non-paralyzing model. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2014

The iQID Camera: An Ionizing-Radiation Quantum Imaging Detector

We have developed and tested a novel, ionizing-radiation Quantum Imaging Detector (iQID). This scintillation-based detector was originally developed as a high-resolution gamma-ray imager, called BazookaSPECT, for use in single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Recently, we have investigated the detectors response and imaging potential with other forms of ionizing radiation including alpha, neutron, beta, and fission fragment particles. The detector’s response to a broad range of ionizing radiation has prompted its new title. The principle operation of the iQID camera involves coupling a scintillator to an image intensifier. The scintillation light generated particle interactions is optically amplified by the intensifier and then re-imaged onto a CCD/CMOS camera sensor. The intensifier provides sufficient optical gain that practically any CCD/CMOS camera can be used to image ionizing radiation. Individual particles are identified and their spatial position (to sub-pixel accuracy) and energy are estimated on an event-by-event basis in real time using image analysis algorithms on high-performance graphics processing hardware. Distinguishing features of the iQID camera include portability, large active areas, high sensitivity, and high spatial resolution (tens of microns). Although modest, iQID has energy resolution that is sufficient to discrimate between particles. Additionally, spatial features of individual events can be used for particle discrimination. An important iQID imaging application that has recently been developed is single-particle, real-time digital autoradiography. In conclusion, we present the latest results and discuss potential applications.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2018

Influence of deep levels on the electrical transport properties of CdZnTeSe detectors

Here, we investigated the influence of deep levels on the electrical transport properties of CdZnTeSe radiation detectors by comparing experimental data with numerical simulations based on the simultaneous solution of drift-diffusion and Posisson equations, including the Shockley-Read-Hall model of the carrier trapping. We determined the Schottky barrier heights and the Fermi level position from I-V measurements. We measured the time evolution of the electric field and the electrical current after the application of a voltage bias. We observed that the electrical properties of CZTS are fundamentally governed by two deep levels close to the mid-bandgap - one recombination and one hole trap. We show that the hole trap indirectly increases the mobility-lifetime product of electrons. We conclude that the structure of deep levels in CZTS are favorable for high electrical charge transport.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2012

Majorana Demonstrator Bolted Joint Mechanical and Thermal Analysis

The MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR is designed to probe for neutrinoless double-beta decay, an extremely rare process with a half-life in the order of 10 26 years. The experiment uses an ultra-low background, high-purity germanium detector array. The germanium crystals are both the source and the detector in this experiment. Operating these crystals as ionizing radiation detectors requires having them under cryogenic conditions (below 90 K). A liquid nitrogen thermosyphon is used to extract the heat from the detectors. The detector channels are arranged in strings and thermally coupled to the thermosyphon through a cold plate. The cold plate is joined to the thermosyphon by a bolted joint. This circular plate is housed inside the cryostat can. This document provides a detailed study of the bolted joint that connects the cold plate and the thermosyphon. An analysis of the mechanical and thermal properties of this bolted joint is presented. The force applied to the joint is derived from the torque applied to each one of the six bolts that form the joint. The thermal conductivity of the joint is measured as a function of applied force. The required heat conductivity for a successful experiment is the combination of the thermal conductivity of the detector string and this joint. The thermal behavior of the joint is experimentally implemented and analyzed in this study.

Aguayo Navarrete, Estanislao↗
NASA NTRS1998

Surface Passivation of CdZnTe Detector by Hydrogen Peroxide Solution Etching

The spectral resolution of room temperature nuclear radiation detectors such as CdZnTe is usually limited by the presence of conducting surface species that increase the surface leakage current. Studies have shown that the leakage current can be reduced by proper surface preparation. In this study, we try to optimize the performance of CdZnTe detector by etching the detector with hydrogen peroxide solution as function of concentration and etching time. The passivation effect that hydrogen peroxide introduces have been investigated by current-voltage (I-V) measurement on both parallel strips and metal-semiconductor-metal configurations. The improvements on the spectral response of Fe-55 and 241Am due to hydrogen peroxide treatment are presented and discussed.

Hayes, M.↗
DOE OSTI2017

Investigation of Scintillator Based Partial Defect Detector for Safeguarding Spent Fuel Assemblies

Safeguarding spent fuel assemblies is one of the most important objectives for nuclear non-proliferation, since it contains fissile material which can be diverted into nuclear explosive devices. Partial defect detection is a challenging issue among IAEA future safeguards requirements. The IAEA defines there exist partial defects if 50% or more of the fuel pins in a spent fuel assembly are diverted. Conventional partial defect detectors are classified into two groups depending on its operating principle. The first group applies gamma/neutron spectrometer, which are PDET, SMOPY, and gamma emission tomography. Partial defect detectors in the first group are able to calculate the burnup, isotope composition, and cooling time of a spent fuel assembly. However, since it takes time to analyze a spent fuel assembly, they cannot detect every spent fuel assemblies in a cooling pool. The second group applies Cerenkov radiation detector, which can screen a spent fuel assembly within a short time. However, since Cerenkov radiation cannot be generated under atmospheric environment, it cannot be applied for dry condition. This research proposes a scintillator based partial defect detector (SPDD) for inspecting spent fuel, which can detect partial defects within a short time and both in and out of a cooling pool.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
NASA NTRS1986

The measured radiation environment within Spacelabs 1 and 2 and comparison with predictions

A set of passive and active radiation detectors was flown as part of the verification flight instrumentation (VFI) in an attempt to measure the radiation environment in the Spacelab (SL) module and on the pallet. SL 1 carried 4 passive and 2 active detector packages which were used to evaluate the radiation environment within the spacecraft and SL 2 carried 2 passive VFI units on the pallet. Dose equivalents of 330 + or - 70 mrem and 537 + or - 37 mrem were measured in the SL 1 module and SL 2 pallet, respectively.

Parnell, T. A.↗
DOE OSTI2015

Auger recombination in sodium-iodide scintillators from first principles

Scintillator radiation detectors suffer from low energy resolution that has been attributed to non-linear light yield response to the energy of the incident gamma rays. Auger recombination is a key non-radiative recombination channel that scales with the third power of the excitation density and may play a role in the non-proportionality problem of scintillators. In this work, we study direct and phonon-assisted Auger recombination in NaI using first-principles calculations. Our results show that phonon-assisted Auger recombination, mediated primarily by short-range phonon scattering, dominates at room temperature. We discuss our findings in light of the much larger values obtained by numerical fits to z-scan experiments.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2012

Identifying new semiconductor detector materials by D.C. ionization conductivity

Herein is described a method for identifying semiconductor radiation detector materials based on the mobility of internally generated electrons and holes. It was designed for the early stages of exploration, when samples are not available as single crystals, but as crystalline powders. Samples are confined under pressure in an electric field and the increase in current resulting from exposure to a high-intensity source of ionization current (e.g., 60Co gamma rays) is measured. A pressure cell device is described herein to carry out the method. For known semiconductors, the d.c. ionization current depends on voltage according to the Hecht equation, and for known insulators the d.c. ionization current is below detection limits. This shows that the method can identify semiconductors in spite of significant carrier trapping. Using this method and pressure cell, it was determined that new materials BiOI, PbIF, BiPbO2Cl, BiPbO2Br, BiPbO2I, Bi2GdO4Cl, Pb3O2I2, and Pb5O4I2 are semiconductors.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Blackbody radiation sources for the IR spectral range

Metrological radiometric facilities for optoelectronic instruments calibration utilize in terms of standards as radiation detectors in a form of cryogenic radiometers (CR), so as radiation sources. However in practice, there are no CR working within IR spectral range. An alternative way of radiometric calibration in middle and far IR ranges is to develop a parametric series of standard radiation sources - blackbody (BB) models. The paper describes some of BBs developed at VNIIOFI for the last time [1] from cryogenic (80 K to 200 K), to low (about 200 K to 400 K) and medium (400 K to 700 K) temperature regions for calibration of the IR instruments under cryogenic-vacuum conditions. These BBs are presented by models of both types: variable-temperature and based on fixed points of Ga or In. BBs are characterized with high temperature uniformity and stability. Copper and aluminum alloys are used as the radiation cavity materials. The required value of emissivity ε{sub λ} is achieved by using different black coatings. Low-temperature and cryogenic BBs are based on the principles of indirect multi-zone electric heating (with heat isolation from LN2 cooling loop, or by using an external liquid thermostat with circulating heat-transfer agent. The principles of operation, design and test results of BBs are described.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
NASA NTRS1983

Nuclear Science Symposium, 29th, and Symposium on Nuclear Power, 14th, Washington, DC, October 20-22, 1982, Proceedings

High-energy radiation detectors suitable for balloon-borne or space-based radiation event studies are described. The employment of NaI(Tl) scintillator bars for gamma ray detection is outlined, and the development of a fluorescent gated gas-filled scintillation proportional counter is reported. A high throughput nondispersive hard X ray spectrograph with angular resolution for cosmic bursts, transients, and sources has been constructed. Features of a sealed high pressure xenon filled imaging proportional counter with a 30 sq cm sensitive area are explored. Finally, the various radiation effects on electronic circuitry in a space environment are defined, and an MOS dosimeter for assaying the cumulative radiation flux in a spacecraft due to ambient conditions is characterized.

Davis, W. D.↗
NASA NTRS1987

In situ measurement of atomic hydrogen in the upper mesosphere

In situ measurements of H abundance between 73 and 93 km are reported for conditions of winter solstice, magnetic quiet, and a solar depression angle of 12 deg. The data were obtained by a rocket-borne instrument using the resonance fluorescence technique. A discharge source emitting photons at 1216 A was an integral part of the instrument. The instrument was radially deployed 80 cm by a boom from the front of the payload in order to avoid the shock created by the gas flow over the front of the payload. An attitude control system oriented the payload so that the gas flow was nearly perpendicular to the plane containing the incident and scattered photons, thus minimizing any correction for Doppler shift. The resonance radiation detector viewed a black backstop in order to minimize background radiation from the hydrogen geocorona; however, the background was not entirely eliminated. The signal-to-noise ratio was improved by summing the data in 1.8-s bins. The observed hydrogen concentration maximized at 85 km at 1.5 + or - 1.1 x 10 to the 8th atoms/cu cm.

Sharp, W. E.↗
DOE OSTI2012

Methods for increasing the sensitivity of gamma-ray imagers

Methods are presented that increase the position resolution and granularity of double sided segmented semiconductor detectors. These methods increase the imaging resolution capability of such detectors, either used as Compton cameras, or as position sensitive radiation detectors in imagers such as SPECT, PET, coded apertures, multi-pinhole imagers, or other spatial or temporal modulated imagers.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2012

Systems for increasing the sensitivity of gamma-ray imagers

Systems that increase the position resolution and granularity of double sided segmented semiconductor detectors are provided. These systems increase the imaging resolution capability of such detectors, either used as Compton cameras, or as position sensitive radiation detectors in imagers such as SPECT, PET, coded apertures, multi-pinhole imagers, or other spatial or temporal modulated imagers.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗