At present, there is no โidealโ detector. In consequence, the electrical signals induced by โeventsโ in a detector can sometimes be โfalselyโ recorded or may not be recorded at all. For scintillators, for example, acquiring an event by integrating the electrical charge requires a minimum integration and recording time. During this integration time, one or more other events may occur and are...
Scintillation detectors are essential in fields such as nuclear physics, medical imaging, and radiation detection. Simulating their signals is key to develop advanced signal processing algorithms. This paper introduces a Python package, scintiPulses, which simulates signals from scintillation detector with a quantum illumination function, and comprehensive set of parameters and noise...
Reliable discrimination between gamma-ray and neutron signals is essential for accurate neutron detection when using an organic scintillation detector. Pulse Shape Discrimination (PSD) techniques are methods of distinguishing between gamma ray and neutron pulse signals by analysing the variations in pulse formation and decay patterns associated with each type of radiation. The Charge...
The MATRIX project is pioneering advancements in proton therapy for cancer treatment by developing novel, highly durable detectors that enhance real-time control of irradiation doses, aiming to make treatments faster, more accurate, and reliable. Proton irradiation is one of the most precise cancer therapies available, enabling high-dose tumor targeting while sparing nearby healthy tissue....
We present characterization of a high efficiency multi-element neutron dosemeter, which is built upon the THick Gas Electron Multiplier (THGEM) technology. The multi-element design enables high neutron detection efficiency and is therefore ideal for building tissue-equivalent proportional counters (TEPC) for taking microdosimetric measurements in weak neutron fields. Unlike traditional TEPCs,...
This paper presents an implementation of a fully pipelined polynomial Support Vector Machine (SVM) decision function in a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), featuring external training and modifiable vectors. Specifically tuned for pulse shape Gamma-Neutron discrimination within the established NGA-01 Neutron Gamma Analyzer, the method would aid in the differentiation of low-energy pulses....
The spectrometry of X-ray pulses is hindered whenever ultra-high dose rate or ultra-short pulses are involved because of electronics dead time and pile-up phenomena occurring in PHAs (Pulse Height Analyzers). Ultra-High dose rates (i.e. 1 MGy/s) are produced by dedicated Linear Accelerators (LINACs) for Flash Therapy or fast X-ray imaging purposes, for instance. Ultra-Short X-ray pulses are...
The use of Time-of-Flight (TOF) information has become a standard in Positron Emission Tomography (PET). It allows a more precise determination of the radioisotope location, resulting in an improvement of the reconstructed images and better diagnosis of pathologies in patients. The high-performance photodetectors used in clinical scanners are one of the key components for TOF-PET, playing a...
In the last few decades, lanthanum halide scintillators (LaBr$_3$(Ce), LaBr$_3$(Ce+Sr), LaCl$_3$(Ce)) have been extensively used for gamma ray spectroscopy measurements. They offer excellent energy resolution (about 3-4% at 662keV) and fast scintillation time, allowing high counting rate measurements (>300 kHz). These scintillators find applications in various research fields such as nuclear...
Recent advancements in machine learning have shown significant
promise in nuclear applications, particularly in optimizing reactor operations, core design, and improving neutron spectroscopy techniques. This study introduces a novel approach that leverages machine learning algorithms to predict neutron spectra based on data obtained from solid-state detectors, with a specific focus on the...
The development of next-generation nuclear reactors, particularly those using lead as a coolant, has opened up new possibilities in reactor design, safety, and efficiency. One of the most critical aspects of ensuring the safe and effective operation of these reactors is the development of advanced neutron instrumentation systems. Traditional neutron monitoring technologies face significant...
The unique physical properties of carbon nanotubes have spurred numerous applications across various fields. In this study, we investigate their electrical properties to develop a detector for fast neutron flux measurement. Previous research has demonstrated their potential in dosimetry for thermal neutrons and gamma radiation using random networks of carbon nanotubes.
For the measurement...
In this presentation, we will outline the development of a neutron-sensitive scintillator produced through 3D-printing and its integration into a detector using a high-speed optical camera. The scintillator was produced using the Fused-Deposition Modelling (FDM) method of 3D-printing, whereby a thin plastic filament is heated and extruded to create layers of an object. Two methods for creating...
To accurately estimate neutron dose rates, accurate measurements of both the initial kinetic energy and the incident flux of neutrons are crucial. This presentation will discuss a project focused on developing a transportable neutron spectrometer/dose rate meter, using multiple detectors embedded within a moderator volume. This development has resulted in the creation of a novel multi-detector...
Understanding radiation effects on detectors and electronics is essential for the success of word-class experiments in fundamental physics at particle accelerators. This is of paramount importance in view of the High Luminosity Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC) program, which aims at discovering new physics beyond Standard Model by increasing the LHC luminosity by up to a factor of 7.5. This...
Semiconductor radiation detectors based on the 4H polytype of Silicon Carbide (4H-SiC) have many advantages for high-temperature, high-radiation and mixed-radiation applications. The wide band gap of 4H-SiC (3.27 eV) allows measurements at temperatures up to 700 ยฐC and probably much higher. Conventional lower band-width semiconductors such as silicon or germanium are limited by thermally...
Silicon carbide or SiC is widely used in various semiconductor devices, including PIN diodes, MOSFETs, and MEMS, due to its wide bandgap, large critical electric field, high thermal conductivity, high electron saturation velocity, chemical inertness, and radiation resistance. Among SiC polymorphs, 4H-SiC, with a bandgap of 3.26 eV, is the most studied and preferred for power electronics,...
The 4H-polytype of SiC still remains a promising semiconductor material for detector preparation. Its wide band-gap (3.23 eV @ room temperature) predestines it for operation not only at room temperature but also at rather high temperatures up to several hundred degrees Celsius. High breakdown voltage (4 MV/cm) leads to high drift velocity of radiation-generated charge carriers and so to fast...
Wide-bandgap semiconductor-based fast neutron detectors, such as silicon carbide (SiC), show promise in meeting the implementation and performance requirements for fusion and fission environments. These requirements include radiation hardness, as well as thermal and mechanical stability. Therefore, controlling the detector's performance based on neutron energy and sensor characteristics is...
Readout circuits for large-area Silicon Photomultiplier (SiPM) arrays coupled to scintillators are in use for homeland security applications, where high sensitivity is essential. High sensitivity is achieved by increasing the scintillator volume, which requires enlarging the SiPM area, and by adding additional scintillators, which in turn requires adding more SiPMs. Individual readout of SiPM...
A common approach to photomultiplier tube biasing is to use a high-voltage power supply and a passive or active voltage divider to create the necessary electrical potentials to power the amplification process in the photomultiplier tube. The lowest current flows from the photocathode to the first dynode. The highest current flows from the last dynode to the anode. If a standard voltage divider...
This work deals with the study and optimization of a particle detection chain based on a CMOS-SOI voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) circuit associated to a 3x5 matrix of detection. The matrix is a semiconductor radiation detector, also called solid-state detector. This detector is based on charge collection and amplification using a semiconductor volume such as a p-n junction. For a better...
The presented work introduces the results from the KOSTKA experimental device, designed for the measurement of the spatial distribution of the ionizing radiation. KOSTKA consists of a 3D-printed holder of cubic shape, designed to surround the source of the particles of interest with PADC detectors (with maximum of 25 detectors per one side). Structure of KOSTKA allows adding of material (such...
A scintillator-based Compton camera (CC) is a ฮณ-ray detector, often utilized for medical imaging, astronomy, and homeland security. In these applications, high spatial resolution is vital for accurately identifying tumors, resolving distant celestial objects, and guiding decontamination efforts following nuclear incidents. Degradation of the spatial resolution is significantly caused by...
Hybrid semiconductor detectors using Timepix-family and Medipix-family chips, developed by the Medipix collaboration at CERN, offer direct radiation detection by converting radiation particles into electrical signals within the semiconductor sensor. This design provides excellent detection sensitivity and eliminates analog noise. The sensor chip is divided into 256x256 individual pixels, each...
Silicon carbide (SiC) is a promising semiconductor material for the fabrication of radiation detectors, largely due to its advantageous characteristics, including high chemical and temperature stability, as well as radiation hardness. Silicon carbide (SiC) is capable of crystallising in several different modifications, including 3C, 4H and 6H polytypes. The most favourable for the fabrication...
Undoped lanthanum chloride scintillator crystals possess remarkable capabilities for pulse shape discrimination, leading to the ability to distinguish between different types of radiation based on the shapes of their emitted pulses. This property, together with a reasonable energy resolution, makes it a highly suitable candidate for diverse applications, such as spectroscopy, national...
Radioactive Ion Beams (RIBs) are a unique tool to study the properties of nuclear structure, exploring also regions of the nuclei chart, located far from the stability valley. Moreover Radioactive Ion Beams (especially ฮฒ+ emitters) have the potential to provide a large improvement in image quality and signal-to-noise ratio in image-guided particle therapy. The main hindrance toward a clinical...
The CORELA GRG-01 is a state-of-the-art spectral gamma logger designed for versatile use in both laboratory and field settings. It enables precise K-U-Th concentration pattern logging and gamma ray measurements. These measurements can be supplemental to chemical analysis or XRD. Equipped with a novel array of compact, high-sensitivity radiation detectors, the instrument offers enhanced...
CADOR project (French ANR) aims at developing a new generation of neutrons detectors (NDs) based on the highly stable carbide heterostructure boron carbide (BxC)/silicon carbide (SiC). In such devices, the few ฮผm thick BxC layer will serve as thermal neutrons converter for the 4H-SiC based semiconductor detector. The high amount of 10B close to SiC detector should enhance the detection...
The CEZANE facility at the Micro-Irradiation, Neutron Metrology, and Dosimetry Laboratory (LMDN) is equipped with an irradiator using various neutron sources such as ยฒโดยนAm-Be, ยฒโตยฒCf, and (ยฒโตยฒCf+DโO)/Cd. In the context of its accreditation activities, service provision, and R&D, the laboratory performs calibrations of ambient dose rate meters and individual dosimeters in accordance with ISO...
The characterization of Bremsstrahlung spectra generated by electron accelerators is becoming increasingly crucial, particularly in radiation processing applications such as sterilization of medical devices or food irradiation. The growing transition from isotopic to electric irradiators presents new challenges related to the control of beam properties. In this context, the technologies and...
X-ray spectrometry is routinely performed with fast scintillators associated with Pulse Height Analyzers (PHAs). A PHA discretizes the signal amplitude (proportional to the energy of the incoming photon) and counts the number of pulses incoming in each register, thus generating a pulse-height energy spectrum. In practice, the combination of scintillator and electronics imposes a dead time...
The Laboratory for micro-irradiation, neutron metrology and dosimetry (LMDN) at IRSN is responsible for characterizing various neutrons fields that necessitate the utilization of advanced unfolding techniques. Usually, the LMDN and the laboratory of ionizing Radiation dosimetry (LDRI) use well known unfolding methods among Bayesian inference and GRAVEL algorithm. However, those methods require...
Orano Mining is evaluating the potential of the CeBr3 spectrometric gamma ray logging probe developed by Advanced Logic Technology (ALT) for estimating uranium concentration in roll-front deposits, where decay chain disequilibrium disrupts its relationship with gamma total count rate. The Nuclear Measurement Laboratory of CEA IRESNE, in Cadarache, France, is working on automatic prediction...
Liquid scintillation is a well-established technique for the detection and measurement of radiation, particularly effective for low-energy beta radiation and low-intensity alpha emitters. This method relies on converting the energy of ionizing particles, into light that are subsequently detected by photodetectors. Various applications use liquid scintillators, including medical diagnostics,...
Gamma ray spectroscopy represents a fundamental instrument for the characterisation of gamma radiation and the identification of its sources. The most common approach is the utilisation of scintillator detectors. In this method, the photodetectors are situated in direct contact with the scintillator and are frequently also subjected to gamma radiation. To enhance the stability and reliability...
The NAUTILUS project aims at determining nuclear data for chlorine to contribute to the research on chloride-based molten salt fast reactors. Therefore, experimental methods based on the principles of neutron activation analysis, neutron transmission and pile oscillation are utilized in the neutron field of the AKR-2 training reactor (Chair of Hydrogen and Nuclear Energy, Dresden University of...
Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBGs) offer significant advantages for monitoring harsh environments, particularly within nuclear facilities. Their compact size, immunity to electromagnetic interference and their large variety of radiation responses, enable accurate, real-time monitoring of temperature, strain and/or radiation levels, providing reliable data with high detection sensitivity. These...
This paper presents a research project carried out as part of the BPI France udd@ORANO project to instrument the plug of a diagnostic sleeve with a fiber-optic dosimeter. These endoscope sleeves are used to insert tools for monitoring the ageing of the bowl of a decanter centrifuge used in ORANO's La Hague plant. The objectives of this study are the following: 1) to monitor the concerned...
We present development of the Charged & Neutral Particle Tissue Equivalent Proportional Counter (CNP-TEPC) instrument that is aimed at measuring charged particle and neutron dose rates in real time in the low Earth orbit (LEO). The CNP-TEPC consists of a central TEPC and a plastic scintillator guard detector, which enables both an accurate radiation dose measurement and a particle...
Protection of opto-electronics devices and components susceptible of radiation damage is of foremost importance in intense ionizing radiation environments like the ones produced by particle accelerators, radioisotopes production facilities nuclear infrastructures and waste. Monitoring such radiation levels using accurate dosimetry is accordingly necessary to prevent componentsโ failure and...
Nuclear materials such as uranium and plutonium commonly used in industries or laboratories are major emitters of alpha particles (or ฮฑ particles). Monitoring contamination of infrastructures and people in contact with them is a major radiation safety issue. Detectors currently in use for this purpose have to be close to the radiation sources. It increases the likelihood of contamination on...
The LECA-STAR hot cell laboratory (Laboratory for Active Fuel Studies and the Treatment, Decontamination, and Reconditioning Station) is a facility dedicated to R&D activities on irradiated nuclear fuel, located at the CEA-Cadarache center. Seventeen shielded cells and a microanalysis laboratory allow the handling of fuel elements, from rod size to sub-micronic scale. Four of these cells are...
Inorganic scintillators are commonly used in various gamma spectroscopy applications due to their excellent energy resolution, reliable performance, relatively low cost, and high detection efficiency. Nevertheless, many inorganic scintillators have high refractive indices and experience significant light losses at the collection surface caused by total internal reflection (TIR). This project...
