scholarly journals Improved electronics for 3He based neutron counters

2020 ◽  
Vol 225 ◽  
pp. 05002
Author(s):  
Eric Boogers ◽  
Alessandro Borella ◽  
Riccardo Rossa
Keyword(s):  
Gamma Radiation ◽  
Dose Rate ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Detection Efficiency ◽  
Nuclear Safeguards ◽  
Research Centre ◽  
Coincidence Counting ◽  
Shaping Time ◽  
Coincidence Counter ◽  
Measurement Efficiency

Several non-destructive assays techniques have been developed for the measurement of fissile materials in the fields of dismantling, decommissioning, nuclear security, and nuclear safeguards. Among these techniques, neutron coincidence counting is based on the detection of time-correlated neutrons from induced and spontaneous fissions. 3He Tubes have been the primary choice for neutron coincidence counting due to their high detection efficiency, rather low sensitivity to gamma-rays and proven field reliability. This paper covers the implementation of a new electronic setup to a Canberra WM3400 neutron coincidence counter. First we describe the properties of the used detectors, with focus on the characteristics of the default electronics and highlight its limitations such as the high input capacitance, short shaping time and the necessity for selected tubes. We then propose the new electronic setup to overcome these limitations. This setup includes a dedicated preamp for every tube , the possibility to adjust for gain differences between the tubes and a better optimised shaping time for 3He detectors. We carried out measurements with the two electronic systems to compare their performances in terms of gamma-ray sensitivity, efficiency and die-away time. The gamma ray sensitivity was measured with calibrated 137Cs and a 60Co sources at the Laboratory for Nuclear Calibration of the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre with dose rates between 10 μSv/h and 50 mSv/h. Measurements with a 252Cf source were used to determine the die-away time of the system and the total measurement efficiency for the considered geometry. The measurements showed that, with the default electronics, neutron count-rates are already affected by gamma radiation at a dose rate of 10÷30 μSv/h. On the other hand the neutron coincidence counter equipped with the new electronics proved to be insensitive to gamma-radiation up to a dose rate of at least 20 mSv/h. The high-voltage set with the new electronics is lower than in the case of the default electronics and is within the range recommended by the tubes manufacturer. The die-away time was not affected by the used electronics. A reduction of about 20% in the neutron detection efficiency due to the used discriminator threshold was observed.

scholarly journals RESEARCH PROCESSES OF GAMMA RADIATION DETECTOR FOR DEVELOPING A PORTABLE DIGITAL SPECTROMETER

2020 ◽  
pp. 5-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
O.V. Banzak ◽  
O.V. Sieliykov ◽  
M.V. Olenev ◽  
S.V. Dobrovolskaya ◽  
O.I. Konovalenko
Keyword(s):  
Gamma Radiation ◽  
Dose Rate ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Dynamic Range ◽  
Radiation Detector ◽  
Minimum Energy ◽  
Sampling Rate ◽  
Nuclear Materials ◽  
Wide Range

When considering methods of combating the illicit circulation of nuclear materials, it is necessary to detect trace amounts of materials, and in many cases not to seize them immediately, but to establish the place of storage, processing, routes of movement, etc. As a result, there is a new demand for isotope identification measurements to meet a wide range of different requirements. Measurements should be carried out in the field in a short time, when results need to be obtained within tens of seconds. The devices with which the personnel work should be small and low-background. Such requirements appear when working to identify cases of illegal trade in nuclear materials and radioactive sources, as well as when solving radiation protection problems and when handling radioactive devices and waste. In this work, new generation radiation sensors and measuring systems based on them have been created, which open up previously unknown possibilities in solving problems of nuclear fuel analysis, increasing the accuracy and efficiency of monitoring technological parameters and the state of protective barriers in nuclear power plants, and creating means for IAEA inspections. For the first time a portable digital gamma-ray spectrometer for radiation reconnaissance in the field was developed and created. Distinctive features of such devices are: The analysis showed that the required value of error due to energy dependence of the sensitivity can be achieved using, for example, Analog Devices 10-bit AD9411 ADCs with a sampling rate of 170 MHz. The number of quantization levels is determined by the requirement to measure the dose rate of gamma radiation with an energy of at least 10 keV. This minimum energy corresponds to the use of 10-bit ADCs. On the basis of the developed model, an ionizing radiation detector for dosimetry was created. Its fundamental difference from known devices is the use of CdZnTe crystals as a primary gamma-ray converter (sensor). The advantages of such a solution, proved by previous studies, made it possible to create a detector with: high resolution, no more than 40 keV; a wider dynamic range of values of the recorded radiation dose rate - from background to emergency operating modes of the reactor; lower value of the energy equivalent of noise.

INVESTIGATION OF XENON-FILLED TUBE BREAKDOWN VOLTAGE AND DELAY RESPONSE AS POSSIBLE DOSIMETRIC PARAMETERS FOR SMALL GAMMA RAY AIR KERMA RATES

2020 ◽  
Vol 190 (1) ◽  
pp. 84-89
Author(s):  
Milić Pejović ◽  
Emilija Živanović ◽  
Miloš Živanović
Keyword(s):  
Gamma Radiation ◽  
Dose Rate ◽  
Breakdown Voltage ◽  
Radiation Dosimetry ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Physical Processes ◽  
Rate Range ◽  
Air Kerma ◽  
Delay Response ◽  
Air Kerma Rate

Abstract This paper presents experimental results of dynamic breakdown voltage and delay response as functions of gamma ray air kerma rate for xenon-filled tube at 2.7 mbar pressure. Gamma ray air kerma rate range was considered from 123 nGy h–1 up to 12.3 mGy h–1 in order to investigate the possibility of the application of this tube in gamma radiation dosimetry. It was shown that the variations of the above-mentioned parameters are considerable up to the dose rate of 1.23 μGy h–1, which points to the possibility for application in small dose rate gamma ray dosimetry. Physical processes that make dominant impact to dynamic breakdown voltage and delay response during xenon-filled tube irradiation are also discussed in the paper.

scholarly journals Study of gamma-ray background noise for radioactive waste drum characterization with plastic scintillators

2020 ◽  
Vol 225 ◽  
pp. 05004
Author(s):  
V. Bottau ◽  
L. Tondut ◽  
P.G. Allinei ◽  
B. Perot ◽  
C. Eleon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Radioactive Waste ◽  
Gamma Rays ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Detection Efficiency ◽  
Fission Neutron ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Fast Neutrons ◽  
Coincidence Counting ◽  
Useful Signal ◽  
Plastic Scintillators

In the framework of the radioactive waste drum characterization using neutron coincidence counting, the Nuclear Measurement Laboratory of CEA Cadarache is studying plastic scintillators as an alternative to ideal but costly 3He gas proportional counters. Plastic scintillators are at least 5 times cheaper for the same detection efficiency, and in addition, they detect fast neutrons about three orders of magnitude faster than 3He detectors. However, they are sensitive to gamma rays, which implies the necessity to identify precisely gamma background sources that may affect the useful signal. This paper presents a detailed analysis of the gamma-ray spectrum of a radioactive waste drum containing glove box filters contaminated by plutonium dioxide. Gamma emissions accompanying inelastic scattering (n,n’) and (α,n) reactions that can lead to neutron-gamma coincidences parasitizing useful coincidences from plutonium spontaneous fissions are identified. Some of these parasitic gamma rays having energies up to several MeV, we plan to reject high-energy scintillator pulses with an electronics rejection threshold above 1 MeV, which should preserve the major part of useful fission neutron pulses.

Effect of Gamma Radiation on Structural, Optical and Electrical Properties of nanostructured CdHgTe Thin Films

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
B Babu ◽  
K Mohanraj ◽  
S Chandrasekar ◽  
N Senthil Kumar ◽  
B Mohanbabu
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Electrical Conductivity ◽  
Electrical Properties ◽  
Gamma Radiation ◽  
Glass Substrate ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Optical And Electrical Properties ◽  
Deposition Technique ◽  
Polycrystalline Structure ◽  
Dc Electrical Conductivity

CdHgTe thin films were grown onto glass substrate via the Chemical bath deposition technique. XRD results indicate that a CdHgTe formed with a cubic polycrystalline structure. The crystallinity of CdHgTe thin films is gradually deteriorate with increasing the gamma irradiation. EDS spectrums confirms the presence of Cd, Hg and Te elements. DC electrical conductivity results depicted the conductivity of CdHgTe increase with increasing a gamma ray dosage

scholarly journals Coincidence counter measurements of cosmic rays in an aeroplane

1936 ◽  
Vol 156 (889) ◽  
pp. 570-577 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Cosmic Rays ◽  
High Altitude ◽  
Cosmic Ray ◽  
Independent Sets ◽  
Vertical Line ◽  
Coincidence Counting ◽  
Detailed Design ◽  
Recording Apparatus ◽  
Coincidence Counter ◽  
Balloon Experiments

Cosmic ray measurements on mountains are limited in general to altitudes below about 4000 meters. Above this height Regener has made successful use of small balloons carrying self-recording apparatus, and occasional flights have been made with manned balloons by Piccard, Cosyns, and by American workers. Balloon experiments are, however, hardly practicable in this country, so we decided to investigate cosmic rays, and in particular the production of showers, using an aeroplane. Facilities for flying to a height of about 10 km. Were generously provided by the Air Ministry. Apparatus Two independent sets of three tube counters were used in conjunction with the usual coincidence counting circuits. The counters could be arranged in a vertical line to record vertical penetrating particles, or in a triangle to record showers. The triple coincidences were recorded by telephone counters which were photographed at intervals together with a clock and aneroid barometer. The detailed design of the apparatus required some consideration since the aeroplane available (the Vickers Vespa machine used for high altitude experiments at the Royal Aircraft Establishment) had an open observer’s cockpit in which the counting set had to be installed.

Neutron and gamma ray total dose rate determination using anisn

1994 ◽  
Vol 44 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 119-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Amin ◽  
N. Ashoub ◽  
A. Elkady
Keyword(s):  
Total Dose ◽  
Dose Rate ◽  
Gamma Ray

Development of a simultaneous imaging system to measure the optical and gamma ray images of Ir-192 source for high-dose-rate brachytherapy

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. T12005
Author(s):  
J. Nagata ◽  
S. Yamamoto ◽  
Y. Noguchi ◽  
T. Nakaya ◽  
K. Okudaira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dose Rate ◽  
Spatial Resolution ◽  
Gamma Camera ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Imaging System ◽  
High Dose Rate ◽  
High Dose ◽  
Cmos Camera ◽  
Absolute Position ◽  
The Absolute

Abstract In high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy, verification of the Ir-192 source's position during treatment is needed because such a source is extremely radioactive. One of the methods used to measure the source position is based on imaging the gamma rays from the source, but the absolute position in a patient cannot be confirmed. To confirm the absolute position, it is necessary to acquire an optical image in addition to the gamma ray image at the same time as well as the same position. To simultaneously image the gamma ray and optical images, we developed an imaging system composed of a low-sensitivity, high-resolution gamma camera integrated with a CMOS camera. The gamma camera has a 1-mm-thick cerium-doped yttrium aluminum perovskite (YAIO3: YAP(Ce)) scintillator plate optically coupled to a position-sensitive photomultiplier (PSPMT), and a 0.1-mm-diameter pinhole collimator was mounted in front of the camera to improve spatial resolution and reduce sensitivity. We employed the concept of a periscope by placing two mirrors tilted at 45 degrees facing each other in front of the gamma camera to image the same field of view (FOV) for the gamma camera and the CMOS camera. The spatial resolution of the imaging system without the mirrors at 100 mm from the Ir-192 source was 3.2 mm FWHM, and the sensitivity was 0.283 cps/MBq. There was almost no performance degradation observed when the mirrors were positioned in front of the gamma camera. The developed system could measure the Ir-192 source positions in optical and gamma ray images. We conclude that the developed imaging system has the potential to measure the absolute position of an Ir-192 source in real-time clinical measurements.

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