• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제42권1호
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• pp.48-55
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• 2017

Background: Simultaneous detection of neutrons and gamma rays have become much more practicable, by taking advantage of good gamma-ray discrimination properties using pulse shape discrimination (PSD) technique. Recently, we introduced a commercial CLYC system in Korea, and performed an initial characterization and simulation studies for the CLYC detector system to provide references for the future implementation of the dual-mode scintillator system in various studies and applications. Materials and Methods: We evaluated a CLYC detector with 95% $^6Li$ enrichment using various gamma-ray sources and a $^{252}Cf$ neutron source, with validation of our Monte Carlo simulation results via measurement experiments. Absolute full-energy peak efficiency values were calculated for gamma-ray sources and neutron source using MCNP6 and compared with measurement experiments of the calibration sources. In addition, behavioral characteristics of neutrons were validated by comparing simulations and experiments on neutron moderation with various polyethylene (PE) moderator thicknesses. Results and Discussion: Both results showed good agreements in overall characteristics of the gamma and neutron detection efficiencies, with consistent ~20% discrepancy. Furthermore, moderation of neutrons emitted from $^{252}Cf$ showed similarities between the simulation and the experiment, in terms of their relative ratios depending on the thickness of the PE moderator. Conclusion: A CLYC detector system was characterized for its energy resolution and detection efficiency, and Monte Carlo simulations on the detector system was validated experimentally. Validation of the simulation results in overall trend of the CLYC detector behavior will provide the fundamental basis and validity of follow-up Monte Carlo simulation studies for the development of our dual-particle imager using a rotational modulation collimator.

• 한국정보통신학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국정보통신학회 2017년도 추계학술대회
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• pp.705-707
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• 2017

스테레오기반의 공간방사선 탐지장치는 방사선원에 대한 공간분포정보 뿐만 아니라 탐지장치로부터 선원까지의 거리정보를 얻을 수 있어 기존 방사선 영상화 장치보다 선원에 대한 효율적인 정보를 제공한다. 또한 감마선원의 스펙트럼 및 종류에 대한 정보를 고속으로 제공하기 위해서는 감도가 높은 고감도 검출센서가 필요하며 고선량에서의 포화되는 현상을 해소할 수 있는 기법이 필요하다. 본 논문에서는 다종 감마선 공간분포 측정을 위해 고감도 센서를 구성하고, 검출모듈의 기능을 개선하여 고선량에서의 포화상태를 해소함으로써 단일센서로 탐지범위 증대를 위한 연구를 수행하였다. 본 논문의 결과는 향후 스테레오기반의 감마선 탐지장치의 성능개선을 위해 활용될 것이다.

• 대한방사선기술학회지:방사선기술과학
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• 제43권6호
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• pp.481-487
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• 2020

Radiation measurement technology has steadily improved and its usage is expanding in various industries such as nuclear medicine, security search, satellite, nondestructive testing, environmental industries and the domain of nuclear power plants (NPPs). Especially, the simultaneous measurements of gamma rays and neutrons can be even more critical for nuclear safety management of spent nuclear fuel and monitoring of the nuclear material. A semiconductor detector comprising cadmium, zinc, and tellurium (CZT) enables to detect gamma-rays due to the significant atomic weight of the elements via immediate neutron and gamma-ray detection. Semiconductor sensors might be used for nuclear safety management by monitoring nuclear materials and spent nuclear fuel with high spatial resolution as well as providing real-time measurements. We aim to introduce a portable nuclide-analysis device that enables the simultaneous measurements of neutrons and gamma rays using a CZT sensor. The detector has a high density and wide energy band gap, and thus exhibits highly sensitive physical characteristics and characteristics are required for performing neutron and gamma-ray detection. Portable nuclide-analysis device is used on NPP-decommissioning sites or the purpose of nuclear nonproliferation, it will rapidly detect the nuclear material and provide radioactive-material information. Eventually, portable nuclide-analysis device can reduce measurement time and economic costs by providing a basis for rational decision making.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제52권12호
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• pp.2910-2917
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• 2020

Digital light processing three-dimensional (3D) printing technique is a powerful tool to rapidly manufacture plastic scintillators of almost any shape or geometric features. In our previous study, the main properties of light output and transmission were analyzed. However, a more detailed study of the other properties is required to develop 3D printed plastic scintillators with expectable and reproducible properties. The 3D printed plastic scintillator displayed an average decay time constants of 15.6 ns, intrinsic energy resolution of 13.2%, and intrinsic detection efficiency of 6.81% for 477 keV Compton electrons from the ¹³⁷Cs γ-ray source. The 3D printed plastic scintillator showed a similar decay time and intrinsic detection efficiency as that of a commercial plastic scintillator BC408. Furthermore, the presented estimates for the properties showed good agreement with the analyzed data.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제54권10호
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• pp.3795-3802
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• 2022

NaI(Tl) scintillation materials are considered to be one of many materials that are used exclusively for γ-ray detection and spectroscopy. The gamma-ray spectrometer is not an easy-to-use device, and the accuracy of the numerical values must be carefully checked based on the rules of the calibration technique. Therefore, accurate information about the detection system and its effectiveness is of greater importance. The purpose of this study is to estimate, using an analytical-numerical formula (ANF), the purely geometric solid angle, geometric efficiency, and total efficiency of a cylindrical NaI(Tl) γ-ray detector with a side-through hole. This type of detector is ideal for scanning fuel rods and pipelines, as well as for performing radio-immunoassays. The study included the calculation of the complex solid angle, in combination with the use of various points like gamma sources, located axially and non-axially inside the through detector side hole, which can be applied in a hypothetical method for calibrating the facility. An extended γ-ray energy range, the detector, source dimensions, "source-to-detector" geometry inside the side-through hole, path lengths of γ-quanta photons crossing the facility, besides the photon average path length inside the detector medium itself, were studied and considered. This study is very important for an expanded future article where the radioactive point source can be replaced by a volume source located inside the side-trough hole of the detector, or by a radioactive pipeline passing through the well. The results provide a good and useful approach to a new generation of detectors that can be used for low-level radiation that needs to be measured efficiently.

• Biomedical Engineering Letters
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• 제8권4호
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• pp.383-392
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• 2018

For prompt gamma ray imaging for biomedical applications and environmental radiation monitoring, we propose herein a multiple-scattering Compton camera (MSCC). MSCC consists of three or more semiconductor layers with good energy resolution, and has potential for simultaneous detection and differentiation of multiple radio-isotopes based on the measured energies, as well as three-dimensional (3D) imaging of the radio-isotope distribution. In this study, we developed an analytic simulator and a 3D image generator for a MSCC, including the physical models of the radiation source emission and detection processes that can be utilized for geometry and performance prediction prior to the construction of a real system. The analytic simulator for a MSCC records coincidence detections of successive interactions in multiple detector layers. In the successive interaction processes, the emission direction of the incident gamma ray, the scattering angle, and the changed traveling path after the Compton scattering interaction in each detector, were determined by a conical surface uniform random number generator (RNG), and by a Klein-Nishina RNG. The 3D image generator has two functions: the recovery of the initial source energy spectrum and the 3D spatial distribution of the source. We evaluated the analytic simulator and image generator with two different energetic point radiation sources (Cs-137 and Co-60) and with an MSCC comprising three detector layers. The recovered initial energies of the incident radiations were well differentiated from the generated MSCC events. Correspondingly, we could obtain a multi-tracer image that combined the two differentiated images. The developed analytic simulator in this study emulated the randomness of the detection process of a multiple-scattering Compton camera, including the inherent degradation factors of the detectors, such as the limited spatial and energy resolutions. The Doppler-broadening effect owing to the momentum distribution of electrons in Compton scattering was not considered in the detection process because most interested isotopes for biomedical and environmental applications have high energies that are less sensitive to Doppler broadening. The analytic simulator and image generator for MSCC can be utilized to determine the optimal geometrical parameters, such as the distances between detectors and detector size, thus affecting the imaging performance of the Compton camera prior to the development of a real system.

• 한국전기전자재료학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국전기전자재료학회 2003년도 춘계학술대회 논문집 기술교육전문연구회
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• pp.154-158
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• 2003

In this study, to measure the density of compaction, it is designed to use the 5 gamma-ray detectors. The developed instrument consists of measuring circuits for gamma-rays and thermal neutrons, a high voltage supply unit, stable circuit unit, count circuit unit and a microprocessor. To read count pulse from gamma-ray detectors are very accurate and it can be count to data calibration excluded count of ripple.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제55권5호
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• pp.1677-1686
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• 2023

As the demand for the detection of special nuclear materials (SNMs) increases, the use of imaging instruments that can sensitively image both gamma-ray and neutron signatures has become necessary. This study compared the pulse shape discrimination (PSD) performance of gamma/neutron events when employing either a pixelated stilbene or a plastic (EJ-276) scintillator array coupled to a silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) array in a dual-particle imager. The stilbene array allowed a lower energy threshold above which neutron and gamma-ray events can be clearly distinguished. A greater number of events can, therefore, be used when forming both gamma-ray and neutron images, which shortens the time required to acquire the images by nearly seven times.

• 전자공학회논문지
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• 제51권4호
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• pp.193-200
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• 2014

본 논문에서는 방사성 의약품의 자동합성장치에 사용되는 단채널 감마선 분광기를 보드 형태로 설계, 제작하고 그 특성을 측정 분석하였다. 감마선 검출을 위해 CZT (CdZnTe) spear 검출기를 이용하였고 아날로그 방식을 적용한 신호처리 보드의 형태로 감마선 분광기를 제작하였다. 측정을 위하여 방사성 물질인 Co-60을 시료로 사용하였으며, 최대 1173keV까지의 감마선 에너지 스펙트럼을 얻을 수 있었다. 아날로그 보드는 CZT spear 검출기에서 감마선을 검출하여 출력하는 신호를 적절히 변화시켜주기 위한 SF (shaping filter) 및 PHA (peak and hold amplifier)와 수치화된 감마선 신호 데이터를 계산하기 위한 ADC(analog to digital converter)와 FPGA (field programmable gate array)로 구성되었다.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제51권3호
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• pp.719-722
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• 2019

Gamma-ray images generally suffer from a lot of noise because of low photon detection in the gamma camera system. The purpose of this study is to improve the image quality in gamma-ray images using a gamma camera system with a fast nonlocal means (FNLM) noise reduction algorithm with an acceleration function. The designed FNLM algorithm is based on local region considerations, including the Euclidean distance in the gamma-ray image and use of the encoded information. To evaluate the noise characteristics, the normalized noise power spectrum (NNPS), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and coefficient of variation (COV) were used. According to the NNPS result, the lowest values can be obtained using the FNLM noise reduction algorithm. In addition, when the conventional methods and the FNLM noise reduction algorithm were compared, the average CNR and COV using the proposed algorithm were approximately 2.23 and 7.95 times better than those of the noisy image, respectively. In particular, the image-processing time of the FNLM noise reduction algorithm can achieve the fastest time compared with conventional noise reduction methods. The results of the image qualities related to noise characteristics demonstrated the superiority of the proposed FNLM noise reduction algorithm in a gamma camera system.