Nuclear Engineering and Technology

Korean Nuclear Society (한국원자력학회)
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Gamma/neutron classification with SiPM CLYC detectors using frequency-domain analysis for embedded real-time applications

  • Ivan Rene Morales (Multidisciplinary Laboratory (MLab), STI Unit, The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP)) ;
  • Maria Liz Crespo (Multidisciplinary Laboratory (MLab), STI Unit, The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP)) ;
  • Mladen Bogovac (Nuclear Science and Instrumentation Laboratory, Physics Section, Division of Physical & Chemical Sciences, Department of Nuclear Sciences & Applications, Vienna International Centre) ;
  • Andres Cicuttin (Multidisciplinary Laboratory (MLab), STI Unit, The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP)) ;
  • Kalliopi Kanaki (Nuclear Science and Instrumentation Laboratory, Physics Section, Division of Physical & Chemical Sciences, Department of Nuclear Sciences & Applications, Vienna International Centre) ;
  • Sergio Carrato (Dipartimento di Ingegneria e Architettura (DIA), Università degli Studi di Trieste (UNITS))
  • Received : 2023.07.03
  • Accepted : 2023.11.07
  • Published : 2024.02.25
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Abstract

A method for gamma/neutron event classification based on frequency-domain analysis for mixed radiation environments is proposed. In contrast to the traditional charge comparison method for pulse-shape discrimination, which requires baseline removal and pulse alignment, our method does not need any preprocessing of the digitized data, apart from removing saturated traces in sporadic pile-up scenarios. It also features the identification of neutron events in the detector's full energy range with a single device, from thermal neutrons to fast neutrons, including low-energy pulses, and still provides a superior figure-of-merit for classification. The proposed frequency-domain analysis consists of computing the fast Fourier transform of a triggered trace and integrating it through a simplified version of the transform magnitude components that distinguish the neutron features from those of the gamma photons. Owing to this simplification, the proposed method may be easily ported to a real-time embedded deployment based on Field-Programmable Gate Arrays or Digital Signal Processors. We target an off-the-shelf detector based on a small CLYC (Cs2LiYCl6:Ce) crystal coupled to a silicon photomultiplier with an integrated bias and preamplifier, aiming at lightweight embedded mixed radiation monitors and dosimeter applications.

Keywords

References

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