Optimization of high count rate event counting detector with Microchannel Plates and quad Timepix readout
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Tremsin, A. S.↗
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Bayesian analysis of energy and count rate data for detection of low count rate radioactive sources
We propose a radiation detection system which generates its own discrete sampling distribution based on past measurements of background. The advantage to this approach is that it can take into account variations in background with respect to time, location, energy spectra, detector-specific characteristics (i.e. different efficiencies at different count rates and energies), etc. This would therefore be a 'machine learning' approach, in which the algorithm updates and improves its characterization of background over time. The system would have a 'learning mode,' in which it measures and analyzes background count rates, and a 'detection mode,' in which it compares measurements from an unknown source against its unique background distribution. By characterizing and accounting for variations in the background, general purpose radiation detectors can be improved with little or no increase in cost. The statistical and computational techniques to perform this kind of analysis have already been developed. The necessary signal analysis can be accomplished using existing Bayesian algorithms which account for multiple channels, multiple detectors, and multiple time intervals. Furthermore, Bayesian machine-learning techniques have already been developed which, with trivial modifications, can generate appropriate decision thresholds based on the comparison of new measurements against a nonparametric sampling distribution. (authors)
97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
TU-FG-209-03: Exploring the Maximum Count Rate Capabilities of Photon Counting Arrays Based On Polycrystalline Silicon
Purpose: Photon counting arrays (PCAs) offer several advantages over conventional, fluence-integrating x-ray imagers, such as improved contrast by means of energy windowing. For that reason, we are exploring the feasibility and performance of PCA pixel circuitry based on polycrystalline silicon. This material, unlike the crystalline silicon commonly used in photon counting detectors, lends itself toward the economic manufacture of radiation tolerant, monolithic large area (e.g., ∼43×43 cm2) devices. In this presentation, exploration of maximum count rate, a critical performance parameter for such devices, is reported. Methods: Count rate performance for a variety of pixel circuit designs was explored through detailed circuit simulations over a wide range of parameters (including pixel pitch and operating conditions) with the additional goal of preserving good energy resolution. The count rate simulations assume input events corresponding to a 72 kVp x-ray spectrum with 20 mm Al filtration interacting with a CZT detector at various input flux rates. Output count rates are determined at various photon energy threshold levels, and the percentage of counts lost (e.g., due to deadtime or pile-up) is calculated from the ratio of output to input counts. The energy resolution simulations involve thermal and flicker noise originating from each circuit element in a design. Results: Circuit designs compatible with pixel pitches ranging from 250 to 1000 µm that allow count rates over a megacount per second per pixel appear feasible. Such rates are expected to be suitable for radiographic and fluoroscopic imaging. Results for the analog front-end circuitry of the pixels show that acceptable energy resolution can also be achieved. Conclusion: PCAs created using polycrystalline silicon have the potential to offer monolithic large-area detectors with count rate performance comparable to those of crystalline silicon detectors. Further improvement through detailed circuit simulations and prototyping is expected. Partially supported by NIH grant R01-EB000558. This work was partially supported by NIH grant no. R01-EB000558.
60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
Gamma-gamma coincidence performance of LaBr 3 :Ce scintillation detectors vs HPGe detectors in high count-rate scenarios
Development of LaBr3: CE Scintillation Detectors for Gamma-Gamma Coincidence System with Applications in Fission Product Analysis
Development of LaBr3:CEScintillation Detectors for↗
New-Generation Thermal Neutron Detectors and Electronics for High-Count-Rate Applications
Neutron measurements are important in many nonproliferation and treaty verification applications. Helium-3 proportional counters and analog electronics are the backbone of neutron detection systems. Helium-3 tubes with a 1-in. diameter have been used with classical electronics for over three decades because of the almost ideal behavior of the 3 He tube as a neutron detector. However, some demanding applications of 3 He tubes (high gamma dose rate, high count rate) and the use of non-ideal detectors (such as 10 B-lined proportional counters) mean that the limitations of these conventional systems are being reached. For example, neutron multiplicity deadtime corrections can be large, and some applications have had trouble with multiple pulsing. Also, instrumentation designs for spent fuel applications often rely on large amounts of lead shielding to reduce the gamma dose at the detector location, making them heavy and expensive. This major challenge for a short dead time and operation in high gamma fields is difficult to address by simply changing the gas admixture and tweaking the shaper time constants. Those small gains are adequate for measurements of some lower-burn-up, low-enrichment-uranium spent fuel assemblies, but not for mixed oxide (MOX) fuel or advanced fast reactor fuel, where the neutron source term is greater.
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
A calibration of NICMOS Camera 2 for low count rates
NICMOS 2 observations are crucial for constraining distances to most of the existing sample of z>1 SNe Ia. Unlike conventional calibration programs, these observations involve long exposure times and low count rates. Reciprocity failure is known to exist in HgCdTe devices and a correction for this effect has already been implemented for high and medium count rates. However, observations at faint count rates rely on extrapolations. Here instead, we provide a new zero-point calibration directly applicable to faint sources. This is obtained via inter-calibration of NIC2 F110W/F160W with the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) in the low count-rate regime using z∼1 elliptical galaxies as tertiary calibrators. These objects have relatively simple near-IR spectral energy distributions, uniform colors, and their extended nature gives a superior signal-to-noise ratio at the same count rate than would stars. The use of extended objects also allows greater tolerances on point-spread function profiles. We find space telescope magnitude zero points (after the installation of the NICMOS cooling system, NCS) of 25.296 ±0.022 for F110W and 25.803 ±0.023 for F160W, both in agreement with the calibration extrapolated from count rates ≳1000 times larger (25.262 and 25.799). Before the installation of the NCS, we find 24.843 ±0.025 for F110W and 25.498 ±0.021 for F160W, also in agreement with the high-count-rate calibration (24.815 and 25.470). We also check the standard bandpasses of WFC3 and NICMOS 2 using a range of stars and galaxies at different colors and find mild tension for WFC3, limiting the accuracy of the zero points. To avoid human bias, our cross-calibration was “blinded” in that the fitted zero-point differences were hidden until the analysis was finalized.
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
High count rate thermal neutron detectors and electronics
Improved, high count rate thermal neutron counters and electronics enabling new, higher measurement capabilities are disclosed. Next generation 3He and 10B tubes may include an electronics package capable of operating at higher count rates and in higher gamma fields and providing more efficient use of 3He gas. Conventional detector systems may also be upgraded, providing a possible solution to measure spent nuclear fuel with high neutron efficiency previously not possible in 235U fission counter systems. Switching the number of tubes per amplifier allows use of the measured nuclear material for a calibration standard for dead time correction, increasing accuracy of neutron measurements systems. An optimized detector geometry and advanced electronics with double pulse filtering and a dual channel readout may be provided. A bipolar shaper may improve dead time, provide efficient detector use, reduce double pulsing, facilitate high count rate measurements, and allow remote threshold setting.
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
Time-walk and jitter correction in SNSPDs at high count rates
Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) are a leading detector type for time correlated single photon counting, especially in the near-infrared. When operated at high count rates, SNSPDs exhibit increased timing jitter caused by internal device properties and features of the RF amplification chain. Variations in RF pulse height and shape lead to variations in the latency of timing measurements. To compensate for this, we demonstrate a calibration method that correlates delays in detection events with the time elapsed between pulses. The increase in jitter at high rates can be largely canceled in software by applying corrections derived from the calibration process. We demonstrate our method with a single-pixel tungsten silicide SNSPD and show it decreases high count rate jitter. The technique is especially effective at removing a long tail that appears in the instrument response function at high count rates. At a count rate of 11.4 MCounts/s, we reduce the full width at 1% maximum level (FW1%M) by 45%. The method, therefore, enables certain quantum communication protocols that are rate-limited by the FW1%M metric to operate almost twice as fast.
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
Evaluation of two-stage system for neutron measurement aiming at increase in count rate at Japan Atomic Energy Agency-Fusion Neutronics Source
In order to increase the count rate capability of a neutron detection system as a whole, we propose a multi-stage neutron detection system. Experiments to test the effectiveness of this concept were carried out on Fusion Neutronics Source. Comparing four configurations of alignment, it was found that the influence of an anterior stage on a posterior stage was negligible for the pulse height distribution. The two-stage system using 25 mm thickness scintillator was about 1.65 times the count rate capability of a single detector system for d-D neutrons and was about 1.8 times the count rate capability for d-T neutrons. The results suggested that the concept of a multi-stage detection system will work in practice.
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
EVALUATION OF AN UPWARD TREND IN BACKGROUND COUNT RATES FROM A STACK PARTICULATE CONTINUOUS AIR MONITOR
The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) operates the Radiochemical Processing Laboratory (RPL), which is a multi-purpose, non-reactor nuclear research facility. Regulations require both continuous sampling and monitoring of radioactive particulates and tritium gas in the exhaust from the main stack. Releases of other radioactive gases, including planned releases of radon, are tracked separately in a database and reported. During the 2015 calibration of the RPL stack continuous air monitor (CAM), measured alpha and beta background count rates were much higher than expected, especially when compared to count rates from previous calibrations. The source of the higher background count rates was examined by trending of historical CAM measurements and a comparison to the sampler data. The analysis revealed that the sample results showed no increase in emissions, whereas the CAM showed a steady increase in count rates. Ultimately, the CAM filter was analyzed and found to contain higher-than-normal background levels of 220Rn progeny. Assessments were performed to determine the cause of the increased background values, including reviews of building research activities, radioactive material usage and storage, adequacy of procedures, and the potential for internal CAM contamination. Project reviews determined that a research activity involving 228Th was left in a semi-stored state, resulting in 220Rn being released from a hot cell into the exhaust system. The 228Th source material was subsequently repackaged and contained resulting in a decrease of CAM background count rates. An estimate of the 220Rn release was made and the contribution to the annual offsite dose from the facility was calculated. The released activity and reported dose results were well below the permit limits for the facility.
radon, 220Rn, environmental assessment, air monito↗
Note: Operation of gamma-ray microcalorimeters at elevated count rates using filters with constraints
Microcalorimeter sensors operated near 0.1 K can measure the energy of individual x- and gamma-ray photons with significantly more precision than conventional semiconductor technologies. Both microcalorimeter arrays and higher per pixel count rates are desirable to increase the total throughput of spectrometers based on these devices. The millisecond recovery time of gamma-ray microcalorimeters and the resulting pulse pileup are significant obstacles to high per pixel count rates. Here, we demonstrate operation of a microcalorimeter detector at elevated count rates by use of convolution filters designed to be orthogonal to the exponential tail of a preceding pulse. These filters allow operation at 50% higher count rates than conventional filters while largely preserving sensor energy resolution.
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
High-count-rate effects in event processing for the XRISM/Resolve X-ray microcalorimeter. II. Energy scale and resolution in orbit
The Resolve instrument on the X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM) uses a 36 pixel microcalorimeter designed to deliver high-resolution, non-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Although it is optimized for extended sources with low count rates, Resolve observations of bright point sources are still able to provide unique insights into the physics of these objects, as long as high-count-rate effects are addressed in the analysis. These effects include the loss of exposure time for each pixel, changes in the energy scale, and changes in the energy resolution. To investigate these effects under realistic observational conditions, we observed the bright X-ray source, the Crab Nebula, with XRISM at several offset positions with respect to the Resolve field of view and with continuous illumination from 55 Fe sources on the filter wheel. For the spectral analysis, we excluded data where exposure-time loss was too significant to ensure reliable spectral statistics. The energy scale at 6 keV shows a slight negative shift in the high-count-rate regime. The energy resolution at 6 keV worsens as the count rate in electrically neighboring pixels increases, but can be restored by applying a nearest-neighbor coincidence cut (“cross-talk cut”). We examined how these effects influence the observation of bright point sources, using GX 13+1 as a test case, and identified an eV-scale energy offset at 6 keV between the inner (brighter) and outer (fainter) pixels. Users who seek to analyze velocity structures on the order of tens of km s–1 should account for such high-count-rate effects. These findings will aid in the interpretation of Resolve data from bright sources and provide valuable considerations for designing and planning for future microcalorimeter missions.
X-rays: general↗
High-count rate effects in event processing for XRISM/ Resolve X-ray microcalorimeter: I. Ground test
The spectroscopic performance of an X-ray microcalorimeter is compromised at high count rates. We utilize the Resolve X-ray microcalorimeter onboard the XRISM satellite to examine the effects observed during high-count rate measurements and propose modeling approaches to mitigate them. We specifically address the following instrumental effects that impact performance: CPU limit, pile-up, and untriggered electrical cross-talk. Experimental data at high count rates were acquired during ground testing using the flight model instrument and a calibration X-ray source. In the experiment, data processing not limited by the performance of the onboard CPU was run in parallel, which cannot be done in orbit. This makes it possible to access the data degradation caused by limited CPU performance. We use these data to develop models that allow for a more accurate estimation of the aforementioned effects. To illustrate the application of these models in observation planning, we present a simulated observation of GX 13+1. Understanding and addressing these issues is crucial to enhancing the reliability and precision of X-ray spectroscopy in situations characterized by elevated count rates.
47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
Expected count rate for the Self- Interrogation Neutron Resonance Densitometry measurements of spent nuclear fuel
The Self-Interrogation Neutron Resonance Densitometry (SINRD) is a passive neutron technique that aims at a direct quantification of {sup 239}Pu in the fuel assemblies by measuring the attenuation of the neutron flux in the energy region close to the 0.3 eV resonance of {sup 239}Pu. The {sup 239}Pu mass is estimated by calculating the SINRD signature, that is the ratio between the neutron flux integrated over the fast energy region and around the 0.3 eV resonance region. The SINRD measurement approach considered in this study consists in introducing a small neutron detector in the central guide tube of a PWR 17x17 fuel assembly. In order to measure the neutron flux in the energy regions defined in the SINRD signature, different detector types are used. The response of a bare {sup 238}U fission chamber is considered for the determination of the fast neutron flux, while other thermal-epithermal detectors wrapped in neutron absorbers are envisaged to measure the neutron flux around the resonance region. This paper provides an estimation of the count rate that can be achieved with the detector types proposed for the SINRD measurement. In the first section a set of detectors are evaluated in terms of count rate and sensitivity to the {sup 239}Pu content, in order to identify the optimal measurement configuration for each detector type. Then a study is performed to increase the count rate by increasing the detector size. The study shows that the highest count rate is achieved by using either {sup 3}He or {sup 10}B proportional counters because of the high neutron efficiency of these detectors. However, the calculations indicate that the biggest contribution to the measurement uncertainty is due to the measurement of the fast neutron flux. Finally, similar sensitivity to the {sup 239}Pu content is obtained by using the different detector types for the measurement of the neutron flux close to the resonance region. Therefore, the count rate associated to each detector type will play a major role in the selection of the detector types used for the SINRD measurement. (authors)
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
A High Count Rate Neutron Beam Monitor for Neutron Scattering Facilities
Abstract Beam monitors are an important diagnostic tool in neutron science facilities. Present beam monitors use either ionization chambers in integration mode, which are slow and have no timing information, or pulse counters which can easily be saturated by high beam intensities. At high flux neutron scattering facilities, neutron beam monitors with very low intrinsic efficiency (10-5) are presently selected to keep the counting rate within a feasible range, even when a higher efficiency would improve the counting statistics and yield a better measurement of the incident beam. In this work, we report on a high count rate neutron beam monitor. This beam monitor offers good timing with an intrinsic efficiency of 10-3 and a counting rate capability of over 1,000,000 cps without saturation.
high counting rate detectors↗
Note: Simple calibration of the counting-rate dependence of the timing shift of single photon avalanche diodes by photon interval analysis
The counting-rate dependence of the temporal response of single photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) is a critical issue for the accurate determination of the fluorescence lifetime. In this study, the response of SPADs was examined with analyzing the time interval of the detected photons. The results clearly show that the shift of the detection timing causes the counting-rate dependence of the temporal response, and this timing shift is solely determined by the time interval from the preceding photon. We demonstrate that this timing instability is readily calibrated by utilizing the macrotime data taken with the time-tag mode that is implemented in the time-correlated single photon counting modules.
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
A High Count Rate Beam Monitor for Thermal Neutrons
Beam monitors are an important diagnostic tool in neutron science facilities. Present beam monitors use either ionization chambers in integration mode, which are slow and have no timing information, or pulse counters which can easily be saturated by high beam intensities. Neutron beam monitors indicate the number of neutrons incident on a scattering sample and allow neutron experimental data to be analyzed even when the source strength varies with time. At high flux neutron scattering facilities, neutron beam monitors with very low efficiency (10-5) are presently selected to keep the counting rate within a feasible range, even when a higher efficiency would improve the counting statistics and yield a better measurement of the incident beam. In this work, we report on a high count rate neutron beam monitor which also offers position sensitivity to provide a beam profile. This beam monitor offers good timing (less than 1 s) in addition to position resolution and will therefore improve the counting statistics at neutron energies up to 10 eV and allow moderator studies. The detector s main characteristics will be presented including its background rate, its count rate capability which is an order of magnitude higher than present counting monitors, and its efficiency for thermal neutrons.
Barnett, Amanda↗
Pulse shape discrimination of Cs 2 LiYCl 6 :Ce 3+ detectors at high count rate based on triangular and trapezoidal filters
Cs 2 LiYCl 6 :Ce 3+ (CLYC) detectors have demonstrated the capability to simultaneously detect γ-rays and thermal and fast neutrons with medium energy resolution, reasonable detection efficiency, and substantially high pulse shape discrimination performance. In this work, a disadvantage of CLYC detectors is the long scintillation decay times, which causes pulse pile-up at moderate input count rate. Pulse processing algorithms were developed based on triangular and trapezoidal filters to discriminate between neutrons and γ-rays at high count rate. The algorithms were first tested using low-rate data. They exhibit a pulse-shape discrimination performance comparable to that of the charge comparison method, at low rate. Then, they were evaluated at high count rate. Neutrons and γ-rays were adequately identified with high throughput at rates of up to 375 kcps. The algorithm developed using the triangular filter exhibits discrimination capability marginally higher than that of the trapezoidal filter based algorithm irrespective of low or high rate. The algorithms exhibit low computational complexity and are executable on an FPGA in real-time. Finally, they are also suitable for application to other radiation detectors whose pulses are piled-up at high rate owing to long scintillation decay times.
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗