Nuclear Engineering and Technology

Korean Nuclear Society (한국원자력학회)
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Development of a muon detector based on a plastic scintillator and WLS fibers to be used for muon tomography system

  • Chanwoo Park (Department of Radiation Convergence Engineering, Yonsei University) ;
  • Kyu Bom Kim (Department of Integrative Medicine, Major in Digital Healthcare, Yonsei University College of Medicine) ;
  • Min Kyu Baek (Department of Radiation Convergence Engineering, Yonsei University) ;
  • In-soo Kang (Department of Radiation Convergence Engineering, Yonsei University) ;
  • Seongyeon Lee (Department of Radiation Convergence Engineering, Yonsei University) ;
  • Yoon Soo Chung (Department of Radiation Convergence Engineering, Yonsei University) ;
  • Heejun Chung (Korea Institute of Nuclear Nonproliferation and Control) ;
  • Yong Hyun Chung (Department of Radiation Convergence Engineering, Yonsei University)
  • Received : 2022.01.17
  • Accepted : 2022.11.21
  • Published : 2023.03.25
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Abstract

Muon tomography is a useful method for monitoring special nuclear materials (SNMs) such as spent nuclear fuel inside dry cask storage. Multiple Coulomb scattering of muons can be used to provide information about the 3-dimensional structure and atomic number(Z) of the inner materials. Tomography using muons is less affected by the shielding material and less harmful to health than other measurement methods. We developed a muon detector for muon tomography, which consists of a plastic scintillator, 64 long wavelength-shifting (WLS) fibers attached to the top of the plastic scintillator, and silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) connected to both ends of each WLS fiber. The muon detector can acquire X and Y positions simultaneously using a position determination algorithm. The design parameters of the muon detector were optimized using DETECT2000 and Geant4 simulations, and a muon detector prototype was built based on the results. Spatial resolution measurement was performed using simulations and experiments to evaluate the feasibility of the muon detector. The experimental results were in good agreement with the simulation results. The muon detector has been confirmed for use in a muon tomography system.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This work was supported by the Nuclear Safety Research Program through the Korea Foundation Of Nuclear Safety (KoFONS) using the financial resource granted by the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) of the Republic of Korea. (No. 1804025).

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