Digital Data Acquisition System Research Articles

Energy and time characterization of the newly acquired clover detector in Jordan

A comprehensive overview of the Balqarad clover detector acquired by Al-Balqa Applied University in Jordan is given in detail. The detector consists of four high-purity germanium crystals, accompanied by a composite scintillation active shield. Through meticulous testing involving a range of radioactive sources such as 137Cs, 60Co, and 241Am, we evaluate the performance of the clover detector. The associated digital data acquisition system incorporates specialized and unconventional time registers, operating in event-by-event mode. Our objective is to elucidate the energy and time characteristics exhibited by the new system under different operational modes, employing specifically designed offline software. Our findings encompass vital aspects. These aspects include the determination of the optimal time window value for processing data obtained from gamma detection measurements. Another issue that has been considered is the analysis of hit pattern distribution within each individual crystal. Additionally, we calculate the addback factor for the 60Co source, accounting for gamma energies of 1173 keV and 1332 keV while also considering the influence of time window increment.

A Novel Scalable Digital Data Acquisition System for Industrial Condition Monitoring

A Novel Scalable Digital Data Acquisition System for Industrial Condition Monitoring

Characterisation of neutron fields at the n-lab, a fast neutron facility at the University of Cape Town

The n-lab is a fast neutron facility based in the Department of Physics, University of Cape Town, offering collimated neutron beams produced by an MP 320 deuterium–tritium sealed tube neutron generator, and a 220 GBq americium–beryllium radioisotopic source. Characterisations of the spatial and energy distributions of the fast neutron beams were performed using an EJ-301 organic liquid scintillator detector and digital data acquisition system. Neutron energy spectra were obtained through unfolding analyses with MAXED, and a Monte Carlo approach to the propagation of uncertainties was implemented. Measurements of fluence and neutron emission rates were determined through the neutron activation of copper foils and subsequently used to validate the scaling of the unfolded neutron energy spectra.

A novel methodology to demonstrate vestibulo-ocular reflex using caloric stimulation in undergraduate physiology laboratory.

The study aims to develop a novel methodology to demonstrate the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) and nystagmus by caloric stimulation in an undergraduate medical physiology laboratory. The experimental setup involved two sets of electrodes: one set positioned laterally to both eyes, and another set positioned vertically over either the right or left eye. The caloric method is used to stimulate ears, which involves irrigation of warm (44°C) and cold (30°C) water into the ears while maintaining a temperature difference of approximately ±7°C from the body temperature. The changes in chorioretinal potential were calibrated to angular displacement by a two-point calibration method, and angular velocity was derived after taking the first-time derivative. The results obtained from the digital data acquisition system were compared to the traditional instrument used in our Otorhinolaryngology Department [Interacoustics Videonystagmography (VNG) System for hospitals, medical grade] for the normal subject's data. No significant differences in angular velocity were noted (P > 0.05). The cold stimuli elicit a more pronounced VOR compared to the warm stimuli. It has been consistently observed that the onset of nystagmus occurs approximately 20 s after irrigation, reaching its peak intensity between 45 and 90 s, and gradually diminishing until it ceases after approximately 200 s. Our developed methodology enables the recording and quantification of nystagmus using easily accessible equipment. This study serves the goal of visualizing the physiological process of VOR and thereby fulfills the goal of an effective teaching tool for demonstrating to undergraduate medical students.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We developed a novel methodology to demonstrate and visualize the most common and important physiological phenomenon like the vestibulo-ocular reflex as a teaching module for undergraduate students.

Precise mass measurement of the 32S member of the (A=32, T=2) quintet of analogue states

This contribution presents a precise measurement of the excitation energy of the lowest (0+, T=2) state in 32S. Combined with the mass excesses of the 32S ground state and of the four other members of the (A=32,T=2) quintet of analogue states, it allows to test the validity of the Isobaric Multiplet Mass Equation to the third order in Tz, which renders it highly sensitive to the mechanisms inducing isospin mixing in the involved sd-shell nuclei. The (0+, T=2) isobaric analogue state in 32S was resonantly populated in the 31P(p, γ) reaction at ~3.3 MeV incident energy. The measurement procedure, involving high-purity germanium detectors, is described and the preliminary result obtained with a digital data acquisition system is presented.

A setup for high-energy [formula omitted]-ray spectroscopy with the ELI-NP large-volume LaBr3:Ce and CeBr3 detectors at the 9 MV Tandem accelerator at IFIN-HH

We have performed the first experimental campaign using large-volume LaBr3:Ce and CeBr3 detectors from several of the Extreme Light Infrastructure-Nuclear physics (ELI-NP) instrumental setups together with detectors and infrastructure from the ROSPHERE array at the 9 MV Tandem facility at the Horia Hulubei National Institute for Physics and Nuclear Engineering (IFIN-HH). The performance of the detectors and the digital data acquisition system is shown to give a good energy resolution at high energies, and an excellent time resolution. We, furthermore, present the possibilities to integrate the detector system and the digital electronics with various ancillary detectors for, for example, charged particles.

Design of a high performance Digital data AcquIsition SYstem (DAISY) for innovative nuclear experiments

A dedicated digital data acquisition (DAQ) system has been developed for innovative nuclear data measurements, from time-of-flight to irradiation experiments as well as other basic nuclear physics experiments. The DAQ system is based on fast digitizers with 14 bits resolution and 1 GS/s sampling rate for reliable pulse shape discrimination, energy and timing resolution measurements. Thanks to the high throughput provided by the PCIe bus, data can be processed at CPU or co-processor level, thus allowing great flexibility and reliability. The use of an external clock system and a dedicated triggering system guarantee a very precise synchronization with other possible subsystems in any experimental setup. Finally, its modularity allows to build a flexible and scalable system.

SIMPLE PHYSICAL PRINCIPLES AND MEDICAL USES OF COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY (CT) SCAN A NEW ASSESSMENT

The development of X-ray computed tomography (CT) has been founded on the discovery of X-rays, the inception of the Radon transform, and the growth of X-ray digital data acquisition systems and computer knowledge. Dissimilar conventional X-ray imaging (general radiography), CT reconstructs cross-sectional anatomical images of the internal structures according to X-ray attenuation co-efficients (approximate tissue density) for almost every region in the body. This articleappraisals the essential physical principles and practical aspects of the CT scanner, including numerous notable evolutions in CT technology that resulted in the appearance of helical, multidetector, cone beam, portable, dual-energy, and phase-contrast CT, in integrated imaging modalities, such as positronemission- tomography一CT and single-photon-emission-computed-tomography-CT, and in clinical applications, including image acquisition parameters, CT angiography, image adjustment, versatile image visualizations, volumetric/surface rendering on a computer workstation, radiation treatment planning, and target localization in radiotherapy. The understanding of CT characteristics will provide more effective and accurate patient care in the fields of diagnostics and radiotherapy, and can lead to the improvement of image quality and the optimization of exposure doses.

Going beyond general competencies in teachers' technological knowledge: describing and assessing pre-service physics teachers' competencies regarding the use of digital data acquisition systems and their relation to general technological knowledge

The use of digital technologies and media in physics classrooms has pedagogical potential. In addition to everyday common technologies (e. g., presenters or computers), highly subject-specific media and technologies (e. g., simulation and digital data acquisition systems) are now available for these purposes. As the diversity of these technologies/media increases, so do the required competencies on the part of the (pre-service) physics teachers who must be able to exploit the given potential. Corresponding competency frameworks and related evaluation instruments exist to describe and assess the corresponding competencies. These frameworks and scales are characterized by their generality and do not reflect the use of highly subject-specific technologies. Thus, it is not clear how relevant they are for describing competencies in highly subject-specific technological situations, such as working with digital data acquisition systems in educational lab work settings. Against this background, two studies are presented. Study 1 identifies empirically 15 subject-specific competencies for handling digital data acquisition systems in lab work settings based on a literary review of lab manuals and thinking aloud. In Study 2, based on the 15 identified competencies, an abbreviated content- and construct-validated self-efficacy scale for handling digital data acquisition systems is provided. We show that general technological-specific self-efficacy is only moderately related to the highly subject-specific self-efficacy of handling digital data acquisition systems. The results suggest that specific competency frameworks and measurement scales are needed to design and evaluate specific teaching and learning situations.

Multiple-Dimension Biohealth Data Acquisition System for 5G Telehealthcare Application

A 5G-enabled digital multiple-dimension biohealth data acquisition system prototype integrating an electrochemical dongle, a photochemical dongle and a fluorescence sensor for remote and smart healthcare application is proposed in this paper. The system evolves from the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) and can automatically collect multiple biochemical indicators including chronic disease markers, renal function indicators, and inflammatory factors from patients' blood samples with rapid speed and high accuracy. Because the system is based on Massive Machine Type Communications (mMTC), it can interact reliably with hospital systems or personal mobile devices with ultra-low latency. To generate a platform for in-time interaction between patients and medical staff, an Application (App) terminal is developed to guarantee real-time medical data sharing and face-to-face remote consultation. This not only promotes the personal proactive health management, but also generates valuable records to hospitals for future prevention of diseases, which is highly practical for tele-health management.

A position-sensitive large-area microchannel plate detector with digital data-acquisition system for studies of exotic nuclei

Development of a position-sensitive large-area microchannel plate (MCP) detector based detection system is reported. Two MCPs with 120 mm active diameter, mounted in chevron configuration, with delay-line anode are read out by a digital data-acquisition system consists of fast-timing amplifier unit and CAEN v1751 waveform digitizer. Details of the digital pulse processing, programmed triggering and calibration setup are described. The obtained position resolution was studied using α-particles, the best resolutions on X and Y axes are 460 ± 1μm and 579 ± 1μm in FWHM, respectively.

TOFu: A fully digital data acquisition system upgrade for the neutron time-of-flight spectrometer TOFOR

TOFOR is a time-of-flight (TOF) neutron spectrometer located at the Joint European Torus (JET) with a vertical sightline of the JET plasma. It consists of 5 start (denoted S1) and 32 stop (denoted S2) plastic scintillation detectors which can be used in coincidence to generate a TOF spectrum. Spectroscopic analysis of the neutron TOF spectra produced by the JET plasma is regularly performed to determine, e.g., the fuel ion ratio and the presence of fast ion species in the fusion plasma. TOFOR has been upgraded with a new digital data acquisition (DAQ) system, denoted TOFu, which consists of 10 waveform digitizers with a total of 40 channels, 37 of which are connected to the photomultiplier output of the different S1 and S2 detectors. This paper presents a technical overview of the TOFu system and describes the offline analysis capabilities of TOFu which were not available with the previous DAQ system. Two experimental JET discharges are studied and used to show that the signal-to-background ratio is improved by almost 200% for the 2.5 MeV neutron signal and almost 400% for the 14 MeV neutron signal using the new offline analysis capabilities.

Development of digital electronics for the search of SHE nuclei using GARIS-II/III at RIKEN

This work describes the implementation of a digital data acquisition system for the search and study of short-lived isotopes or superheavy elements at the GARIS-III separator at the RIKEN Nishina Center. A reduction to 26±0.5 keV in the average value of the Full Width at Half Maximum of the alpha spectrum at 7.133 MeV was achieved, combined with a reduction of the dead time of the overall system to around a few tens of nanoseconds for the detection of very fast decay chains. Moreover, we measured a reduction of the background induced by particles crossing the implantation detector using pulse shape analysis techniques. The detail of the optimization and analysis will be presented.

Measurement of Photoneutron Yields Using the RPI LINAC and Assessment of Evaluated Photoneutron Data for Tantalum and Beryllium

A new experiment configuration was designed, developed, and implemented to measure photoneutron yields using the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) electron linear accelerator (LINAC) at the RPI Gaerttner LINAC Center. The experiment configuration includes a new target assembly that converts the LINAC electron beam into a high energy bremsstrahlung photon flux incident upon a sample material of interest. The photons excite nuclei in the sample of interest, which can subsequently emit neutrons (photoneutrons). The photoneutrons emitted in the direction of the detector system travel through a series of collimated vacuum pipes before reaching a pair of proton-recoil high-energy neutron detectors. The signals generated by the neutron detectors are processed using a digital data acquisition system and subsequently analyzed to determine the energy-dependent photoneutron yield from the sample of interest. The new experiment configuration was used to perform proof-of-concept experiments to measure the photoneutron yields from samples of tantalum and beryllium. The measured results were then compared against the results from Monte Carlo simulations of the detailed experiment configurations to perform preliminary assessments of evaluated photoneutron data libraries.

Neutron Capture and Transmission Measurements of 54Fe at the RPI LINAC

54Fe radiative capture cross section and transmission measurements were conducted at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) Gaerttner Linear Accelerator (LINAC) Center using an enriched 54Fe sample in the keV energy region. 54Fe is a constituent of natural iron, which is present in a large variety of nuclear grade materials. Therefore, it is important to have an accurate understanding of the cross sections of 54Fe, which can be measured experimentally. In the time-of-flight measurements conducted at the LINAC, an array of four C6D6 detectors surrounded the sample and radiative capture data were collected using a digital data acquisition system. Additionally, a Li-glass detector was used to collect transmission data using an analog data acquisition system. The radiative capture yield of the 54Fe measurements were normalized to saturated resonances observed in Au and Ta to obtain an absolute capture yield. The preliminary capture yield and preliminary transmission obtained can be compared to evaluations and existing experimental data. Some disagreements were observed in prominent d-wave capture resonances observed in 54Fe in the low-keV neutron energy region. Both sets of experimental data along with pre-existing datasets will greatly enhance RPI’s ability to perform resonance evaluation for 54Fe up to roughly 1 MeV.

New Capabilities of the RPI γ-Multiplicity Detector to Measure γ-Production

Accurate modeling of γ-production in neutron capture reactions is critical for many applications including on-proliferation, safeguards and modeling nuclear reactors. To improve this work, the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) 16-segment γ-multiplicity NaI(Tl) detector at the Gaerttner Linear Accelerator (LINAC) Center has been upgraded by implementing a digital data acquisition system. The new digitized system records the γ-energy deposition distribution in each individual detector, and γ-multiplicity values as a function of neutron time-of-flight (TOF). With the new capabilities, high precision capture (and fission) yield measurements can be made, and the accuracy of simulation tools used to predict capture γ-cascades can be tested. To validate the updated system, an experiment was performed using a natural Ta sample to measure 181Ta and 180mTa resonance capture yield by detecting prompt γ-rays emitted from neutron capture interactions as a function of both neutron energy and measured γ-multiplicity of each capture event. The results confirm earlier measurements and agree with theoretical yield in the low energy resonance region from 1 to 20 eV. A 238U(n, γ) measurement was also performed to generate γ-spectra. For capture γ-cascades where the total γ-energy deposition is close to the neutron binding energy, γ-spectra were measured for individual resonance energies and observed γ-multiplicities. The results are comparable in shape to a recent measurement done using the Detector for Advanced Neutron Capture Experiments (DANCE) array at Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE); however, differences need to be compared to Monte-Carlo n-particle simulations.

High-precision measurement of the He6 half-life

The half-life of $^{6}\mathrm{He}$ has been measured using a low-energy radioactive beam implanted in an ${\mathrm{YAlO}}_{3}$ Ce-doped inorganic scintillator and recording decay events in a $4\ensuremath{\pi}$ geometry. Events were time-stamped with a digital data acquisition system enabling a reliable control of dead-time effects and detector gain variations. The result, ${T}_{1/2}=(807.25\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.{16}_{\mathrm{stat}}\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.{11}_{\mathrm{sys}}$) ms, provides the most precise value obtained so far and is consistent with the only previous measurement having a precision smaller than 0.1%. This resolves the long-standing discrepancy previously observed between two sets of measurements.

‘Big data’ in physics education: discovering the stick-slip effect through a high sample rate

With the availability of educational digital data acquisition systems, it has also become possible in physics education to generate ‘big’ data sets by (a) measuring multiple variables simultaneously, (b) increasing the sample rate, (c) extending the measurement duration, or (d) choosing a combination among these three options. In the context of this paper, we will use a simple acceleration experiment to show that a higher sample rate, resulting in a larger data set, quantitatively reveals the stick-slip effect. For this purpose, two variables are measured simultaneously, first with a low and then with a high sample rate. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate that dealing with ‘big’ data sets can add value to experimentation in physics labs by dealing with data sets that more accurately describe observations.

Different manifestations of triaxial shapes of the positive and negative parity bands in Os187

The excited states of $^{187}\mathrm{Os}$ have been studied via $^{186}\mathrm{W}(^{4}\mathrm{He},3n)^{187}\mathrm{Os}$ reaction at a beam energy of 36 MeV. The $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays were detected using the Indian National Gamma Array at the Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre having seven Compton-suppressed clover high-purity germanium (HPGe) detectors and one low-energy photon spectrometer (LEPS) detector with a digital data acquisition system. The level scheme of $^{187}\mathrm{Os}$ has been extended substantially up to $\ensuremath{\approx}$3.86 MeV of excitation energy and $37/2\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\hbar}$ of spin with the placement of more than 90 new $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays. All known bands have been extended and new band structures have been identified. The results show evidence of triaxial shapes for different configurations of $^{187}\mathrm{Os}$ and different manifestations of nonaxial shape have been observed in the same nucleus. A comparison of the observed band crossing frequency in $^{187}\mathrm{Os}$ with neighboring nuclei gives evidence of a deformed shell gap at $N=110$. The experimental results are well explained using total Routhian surface calculations.

Using γγ-Coincidence Spectroscopy to Identify Natural Radiation in Soils Near the Mississippi River

Naturally radioactive nuclides present in soils contain background radiation that humans are exposed to every day. Previous research suggests that there are high background radiation areas (HBRAs) caused by climate, geography, wind, and water currents that accumulate a higher concentration of these radionuclides. An investigation of the Nile Delta confirms the presence of minerals rich in U and Th from monazite and zircon, further suggesting that certain locations have a higher concentration of these radionuclides. The present work is a search for monazite in Great River Road State Park, near the Mississippi River. The acquired samples were measured with a low-background NaI(Tl) spectrometer and digital data acquisition system. Using γγ-coincidence spectroscopy to reduce background radiation, we were able to apply coincidence gates of known gamma-ray energies originating from 238U and 232Th decay chains to identify the presence of the radionuclides in the soil samples. From our results, we confirmed that there is an accumulation of minerals containing 238U and 232Th near the river. Our next steps will focus on calculating activities for quantitative results and collecting samples from an extended region along the river.