Research output: Contribution in Book/Report/Proceedings - With ISBN/ISSN › Conference contribution/Paper › peer-review
Research output: Contribution in Book/Report/Proceedings - With ISBN/ISSN › Conference contribution/Paper › peer-review
}
TY - GEN
T1 - Real-time, digital pulse-shape discrimination in non-hazardous fast liquid scintillation detectors: Prospects for safety and security
AU - Joyce, M.J.
AU - Aspinall, M.D.
AU - Cave, F.D.
AU - Lavietes, A.D.
PY - 2011
Y1 - 2011
N2 - Pulse-shape discrimination (PSD) in fast, organic scintillation detectors is a long-established technique used to separate neutrons and γ rays in mixed radiation fields. In the analogue domain the method can achieve separation in real time, but all knowledge of the pulses themselves is lost thereby preventing the possibility of any post- or repeated analysis. Also, it is typically reliant on electronic systems that are largely obsolete and which require significant experience to set up. In the digital domain, PSD is often more flexible but significant post-processing has usually been necessary to obtain neutron/γ-ray separation. Moreover, the scintillation media on which the technique relies usually have a low flashpoint and are thus deemed hazardous. This complicates the ease with which they are used in industrial applications. In this paper, results obtained with a new portable digital pulse-shape discrimination instrument are described. This instrument provides real-time, digital neutron/γ separation whilst preserving the synchronization with the time-of-arrival for each event, and realizing throughputs of 3×10 6 events per second. Furthermore, this system has been tested with a scintillation medium that is non-flammable and not hazardous.
AB - Pulse-shape discrimination (PSD) in fast, organic scintillation detectors is a long-established technique used to separate neutrons and γ rays in mixed radiation fields. In the analogue domain the method can achieve separation in real time, but all knowledge of the pulses themselves is lost thereby preventing the possibility of any post- or repeated analysis. Also, it is typically reliant on electronic systems that are largely obsolete and which require significant experience to set up. In the digital domain, PSD is often more flexible but significant post-processing has usually been necessary to obtain neutron/γ-ray separation. Moreover, the scintillation media on which the technique relies usually have a low flashpoint and are thus deemed hazardous. This complicates the ease with which they are used in industrial applications. In this paper, results obtained with a new portable digital pulse-shape discrimination instrument are described. This instrument provides real-time, digital neutron/γ separation whilst preserving the synchronization with the time-of-arrival for each event, and realizing throughputs of 3×10 6 events per second. Furthermore, this system has been tested with a scintillation medium that is non-flammable and not hazardous.
KW - Neutrons
KW - Instruments
KW - Detectors
KW - Graphical user interfaces
KW - Security
KW - Real time systems
KW - Materials
U2 - 10.1109/ANIMMA.2011.6172939
DO - 10.1109/ANIMMA.2011.6172939
M3 - Conference contribution/Paper
SN - 9781457709258
BT - ANIMMA 2011 - Proceedings: 2nd International Conference on Advancements in Nuclear Instrumentation, Measurement Methods and their Applications
PB - IEEE
ER -