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 ◽  
...  

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.

2009 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 1557-1560
Author(s):  
KATSUAKI ASANO

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are the possible sources of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs), because of the extreme values of ultra-relativistic velocities and strong magnetic fields. In this paper we review the validity of GRBs as sources of UHECRs, and introduce our recent detailed studies of gamma-rays and neutrinos due to UHECRs utilizing comprehensive Monte Carlo codes. Future observations such as Fermi, ground-based telescopes and other facilities may provide constraints on the UHECR acceleration efficiency in GRBs. We also show a preliminary result of neutrino detection efficiency from a GRB with JEM-EUSO.


2021 ◽  
Vol 253 ◽  
pp. 07014
Author(s):  
V. Bottau ◽  
C. Carasco ◽  
B. Perot ◽  
C. Eleon ◽  
R. De Stefano ◽  
...  

This work addresses the use of plastic scintillators as an alternative to 3He detectors for radioactive waste drum characterization. The time response of scintillators is three orders of magnitude faster than that of gas proportional counters and they offer similar neutron detection efficiency at lower cost. However, they are sensitive to gamma rays and the commonly used Pulse Shape Discrimination technique is not possible with basic PVT scintillators. This paper reports on an innovative data processing technique allowing to extract spontaneous fission events from parasitic coincidences, such as those from the (α,n) reactions accompanied by correlated gamma rays or from pure gamma-ray sources emitting correlated radiations. The proposed approach makes advantage of differences in the pulse detection times recorded in measurements with the 252Cf, AmBe and 60Co sources. More precisely, a 2D histogram of time delays between the detected 2nd and 1st pulses, on the x-axis, and between the 3rd and 2nd pulses, on the y-axis, is found to allow for selection of a region of interest most relevant to spontaneous fission events.


Universe ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (7) ◽  
pp. 220
Author(s):  
Emil Khalikov

The intrinsic spectra of some distant blazars known as “extreme TeV blazars” have shown a hint at an anomalous hardening in the TeV energy region. Several extragalactic propagation models have been proposed to explain this possible excess transparency of the Universe to gamma-rays starting from a model which assumes the existence of so-called axion-like particles (ALPs) and the new process of gamma-ALP oscillations. Alternative models suppose that some of the observable gamma-rays are produced in the intergalactic cascades. This work focuses on investigating the spectral and angular features of one of the cascade models, the Intergalactic Hadronic Cascade Model (IHCM) in the contemporary astrophysical models of Extragalactic Magnetic Field (EGMF). For IHCM, EGMF largely determines the deflection of primary cosmic rays and electrons of intergalactic cascades and, thus, is of vital importance. Contemporary Hackstein models are considered in this paper and compared to the model of Dolag. The models assumed are based on simulations of the local part of large-scale structure of the Universe and differ in the assumptions for the seed field. This work provides spectral energy distributions (SEDs) and angular extensions of two extreme TeV blazars, 1ES 0229+200 and 1ES 0414+009. It is demonstrated that observable SEDs inside a typical point spread function of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) for IHCM would exhibit a characteristic high-energy attenuation compared to the ones obtained in hadronic models that do not consider EGMF, which makes it possible to distinguish among these models. At the same time, the spectra for IHCM models would have longer high energy tails than some available spectra for the ALP models and the universal spectra for the Electromagnetic Cascade Model (ECM). The analysis of the IHCM observable angular extensions shows that the sources would likely be identified by most IACTs not as point sources but rather as extended ones. These spectra could later be compared with future observation data of such instruments as Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) and LHAASO.


2020 ◽  
Vol 492 (4) ◽  
pp. 5980-5986
Author(s):  
M Araya

ABSTRACT G279.0+1.1 is a supernova remnant (SNR) with poorly known parameters, first detected as a dim radio source and classified as an evolved system. An analysis of data from the Fermi-Large Area Telescope (LAT) revealing for the first time an extended source of gamma-rays in the region is presented. The diameter of the GeV region found is ${\sim} 2{^{\circ}_{.}}8$, larger than the latest estimate of the SNR size from radio data. The gamma-ray emission covers most of the known shell and extends further to the north and east of the bulk of the radio emission. The photon spectrum in the 0.5–500 GeV range can be described by a simple power law, $\frac{\mathrm{ d}N}{\mathrm{ d}E} \propto E^{-\Gamma }$, with a spectral index of Γ = 1.86 ± 0.03stat ± 0.06sys. In the leptonic scenario, a steep particle spectrum is required and a distance lower than the previously estimated value of 3 kpc is favoured. The possibility that the high-energy emission results from electrons that already escaped the SNR is also investigated. A hadronic scenario for the gamma-rays yields a particle spectral index of ∼2.0 and no significant constraints on the distance. The production of gamma-rays in old SNRs is discussed. More observations of this source are encouraged to probe the true extent of the shell and its age.


1998 ◽  
Vol 188 ◽  
pp. 125-128
Author(s):  
T. Kifune

The current status of very high energy gamma ray astronomy (in ~ 1 TeV region) is described by using as example results of CANGAROO (Collaboration of Australia and Nippon for a GAmma Ray Observatory in the Outback). Gamma rays at TeV energies, emitted through inverse Compton effect of electrons or π0 decay from proton interaction, provide direct evidence on “hot” non-thermal processes of the Universe, as well as environmental features, such as the strength of magnetic field in the emission region, for the non-thermal processes.


1986 ◽  
Vol 89 ◽  
pp. 305-321
Author(s):  
Richard I. Epstein

AbstractThe power per logarithmic bandwidth in gamma-ray burst spectra generally increases rapidly with energy through the x-ray range and does not cut off sharply above a few MeV. This spectral form indicates that a very small fraction of the energy from a gamma-ray burst source is emitted at low energies or is reprocessed into x-rays and that the high-energy gamma rays are not destroyed by photon-photon interactions. The implications are that the emission mechanism for the gamma-ray bursts is not synchrotron radiation from electrons that lose most of their energy before being re-accelerated and that either the regions from which the gamma rays are emitted are large compared to the size of a neutron star or the emission is collimated and beamed away from the stellar surface.


1994 ◽  
Vol 142 ◽  
pp. 707-711
Author(s):  
H. Aurass ◽  
A. Hofmann ◽  
E. Rieger

AbstractVector magnetogram data and Hα pictures together with data published by Chupp et al. lead us to conjecture that in the presented case a contact between the rising two-ribbon flare current sheet and a coronal loop connecting two nearby plage regions initiates efficient high-energy γ-ray emission.Subject headings: Sun: corona — Sun: flares — Sun: X-rays, gamma rays


1994 ◽  
Vol 142 ◽  
pp. 877-881
Author(s):  
David Eichler

AbstractMany proficient gamma-ray sources show energy spectra that are consistent with E−2 primary spectra. Such sources include recently identified gamma-ray quasars and some gamma-ray bursts. Assuming thick target conversion, this is consistent with shock acceleration, and the dominance of the gamma rays of the luminosity is also consistent with previous predictions of high production efficiency of fresh cosmic rays in shocks. The spectral cutoffs in the gamma rays may offer clues as to whether the high-energy particles are electrons or protons. Resolution of this matter might have implications for the nature of the sources and for theory of shock accelerated electrons.Subject headings: acceleration of particles — gamma rays: bursts — shock waves


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