LaBr3 Scintillation Detectors Research Articles

Development of a pile-up pulse recovery algorithm for the LaBr[formula omitted] detector

Precise measurement under high counting rates has been a major challenge for γ-ray spectroscopy, where signals generally pile up with each other and their characteristic values are deeply coupled. An off-line pile-up pulse recovery algorithm based on template matching is developed for LaBr3 scintillation detectors and has been applied to data from China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) Back-n white neutron beamline. As an improvement to the traditional Template Matching methods, the predetermined template shape is associated with pulse amplitudes, which is found crucial to achieve the best fitting results. Moreover, a universal strategy of setting the initial values of fitting allows to resolve signals that are separated in time by less than the characteristic rise time. Processing of simulated pulses demonstrates that the lower limit of interval to distinguish successive events is 10 ns, which is a significant improvement to the previous works. The algorithm performs well under a counting rate of 6×107 s−1, and is still effective up to 108 s−1. Analysis of experimental data indicates that this algorithm recovers over 98% count yield under a counting rates of no more than 4×106 s−1 in this work, providing a more reliable approach to deduce neutron-induced reaction cross sections.

A Bayesian approach for measuring nuclear material in radioactive waste using photofission

Photofission provides a mean for measuring nuclear material in large and dense radioactive waste packages. High-energy interrogating bremsstrahlung photons produced by a LINAC are indeed able to induce fissions in the depth of the waste matrix. In addition, a scintillation detector can detect high-energy delayed gamma rays that are able to escape the waste package. Scintillation detectors also allow performing measurements during photon irradiation, between LINAC pulses, to measure delayed gamma rays from short-lived fission products. Photofission measurement with a LaBr3 scintillation detector can help determining, in a Bayesian frame, the mass and position of actinides in radioactive waste packages. In addition to counting statistics, the model takes into account photofission yields and waste matrix density uncertainties. The model performances are numerically illustrated in the case of a 235 g238U lump placed inside a 50 cm radius drum homogeneously filled with 2.35 g/cm3 density concrete. In the most unfavourable angular position, with 32 drum rotations, when the 238U radial position is 10% and 90% of the waste drum radius, the expected relative uncertainty on the 238U mass is respectively 32% and 45%. The 238U angular position uncertainty is 10 mrad and its radial position can be determined with an expected uncertainty of 2 cm and 3 cm, when the 238U is respectively placed at 10% and 90% of the waste drum radius.

Fair Weather Neutron Bursts From Photonuclear Reactions by Extensive Air Shower Core Interactions in the Ground and Implications for Terrestrial Gamma‐ray Flash Signatures

AbstractWe report on anomalously long duration (2 ms) count rate bursts following the impact of cosmic ray showers near a 7.62 cm x⊘7.62 cm LaBr3 scintillation detector at the High Altitude Water Cherenkov array in Mexico, previously described by Stenkin et al. (2001), and termed “neutron bursts.” The largest burst produced 198 counts within 2 ms in our LaBr3 detector. We simulate the neutron burst albedo flux (that is, secondary emissions from an extensive air shower core impacting the ground), and show that (1) the characteristic spectra and count rates are well explained by neutron absorption in the ground and (2) any cosmic ray secondary that produces neutrons, either through hadron inelastic collisions, or photoneutron production by gamma‐rays, produces the same characteristic spectra. This implies that other natural phenomena that produce downward beams of gamma‐rays, like Terrestrial gamma ray flashes, should produce a similar “neutron burst” signature from the photoneutron reactions occurring in the soil.

Neutron Capture Cross Section for 10Be

The determination of the involved reaction cross sections is essential for the understanding of how the big bang nucleosynthesis and nuclear reactions in stars contribute to the observed abundances. One of those, which has not been measured so far, is the 10Be(n,<i>γ<i>) cross section.A 10BeO sample, provided by PSI Villigen, was irradiated in a cyclic activation at the TRIGA reactor in Mainz. The characteristic <i>γ<i>-rays following the decay of 11Be were measured using LaBr3 scintillation detectors. The thermal neutron cross section and the resonance integral were experimentally determined for the first time.

Fast neutron inelastic scattering from 7Li

The inelastic scattering of fast neutrons from 7Li nuclei was investigated at the nELBE neutron-time-of-flight facility. The photon production cross section of 478 keV γ-rays from the first excited state of 7Li was determined by irradiating a disc of LiF with neutrons of energies ranging from 100 keV to about 10 MeV. The target position was surounded by a setup of 7 LaBr3 scintillation detectors and 7 high-purity germanium detectors to detect the de-excitation γ-rays. A 235U fission chamber was used to determine the incoming neutron flux. The number of detected photons was corrected for the detection efficiency, multiple scattering and the time-of-flight dependent data acquisition dead time. The preliminary results show reasonable agreement with some previous measurments but are about 15 % below the recent data taken at the GELINA facility.

Evaluation of Scintillator Detection Materials for Application within Airborne Environmental Radiation Monitoring.

In response to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, there has occurred the unabated growth in the number of airborne platforms developed to perform radiation mapping—each utilising various designs of a low-altitude uncrewed aerial vehicle. Alongside the associated advancements in the airborne system transporting the radiation detection payload, from the earliest radiological analyses performed using gas-filled Geiger-Muller tube detectors, modern radiation detection and mapping platforms are now based near-exclusively on solid-state scintillator detectors. With numerous varieties of such light-emitting crystalline materials now in existence, this combined desk and computational modelling study sought to evaluate the best-available detector material compatible with the requirements for low-altitude autonomous radiation detection, localisation and subsequent high spatial-resolution mapping of both naturally occurring and anthropogenically-derived radionuclides. The ideal geometry of such detector materials is also evaluated. While NaI and CsI (both elementally doped) are (and will likely remain) the mainstays of radiation detection, LaBr3 scintillation detectors were determined to possess not only a greater sensitivity to incident gamma-ray radiation, but also a far superior spectral (energy) resolution over existing and other potentially deployable detector materials. Combined with their current competitive cost, an array of three such composition cylindrical detectors were determined to provide the best means of detecting and discriminating the various incident gamma-rays.

The $\gamma$ γ -ray angular distribution in fast neutron inelastic scattering from iron

The angular distribution of $ \gamma$ -rays emitted after inelastic scattering of fast neutrons from iron was determined at the n ELBE neutron time-of-flight facility. An iron sample of natural isotopic composition was irradiated by a continuous photo-neutron spectrum in the energy range from about 0.1 up to 10 MeV. The de-excitation $\gamma$ -rays of the four lowest excited states of 56Fe and the first excited state of 54Fe were detected using a setup of five high-purity germanium (HPGe) detectors and five LaBr3 scintillation detectors positioned around the sample at $ 30^\circ$ , $55^{\circ}$ , $90^{\circ}$ , $ 125^{\circ}$ and $150^{\circ}$ with respect to the incoming neutron beam. The resulting angular distributions were fitted by Legendre polynomials up to 4th order and the angular distribution coefficients $a_{2}$ and $ a_{4}$ were extracted. The angular distribution coefficients of three transitions in 56Fe are reported here for the first time. The results are applied to a previous measurement of the inelastic scattering cross section determined using a single HPGe detector positioned at $125^{\circ}$ . Using the updated $\gamma$ -ray angular distribution, the previous cross section results are in good agreement with reference data.

Prompt fission gamma-ray emission spectral data for 239Pu(n,f) using fast directional neutrons from the LICORNE neutron source

Prompt fission gamma-ray spectra (PFGS) have been measured for the 239Pu(n,f) reaction using fast neutrons at Ēn=1.81 MeV produced by the LICORNE directional neutron source. The setup makes use of LaBr3 scintillation detectors and PARIS phoswich detectors to measure the emitted prompt fission gamma rays (PFG). The mean multiplicity, average total energy release per fission and average energy of photons are extracted from the unfolded PFGS. These new measurements provide complementary information to other recent work on thermal neutron induced fission of 239Pu and spontaneous fission of 252Cf.

Delayed gamma-ray spectroscopy with lanthanum bromide detector for non-destructive assay of nuclear material

High-energy delayed γ-ray spectroscopy is a potential technique for directly assaying spent fuel assemblies and achieving the safeguards goal of quantifying nuclear material inventories for spent fuel handling, interim storage, reprocessing facilities, repository sites, and final disposal. Requirements for the γ-ray detection system, up to ∼6 MeV, can be summarized as follows: high efficiency at high γ-ray energies, high energy resolution, good linearity between γ-ray energy and output signal amplitude, ability to operate at very high count rates, and ease of use in industrial environments such as nuclear facilities. High Purity Germanium Detectors (HPGe) are the state of the art and provide excellent energy resolution but are limited in their count rate capability. Lanthanum Bromide (LaBr3) scintillation detectors offer significantly higher count rate capabilities at lower energy resolution. Thus, LaBr3 detectors may be an effective alternative for nuclear spent-fuel applications, where count-rate capability is a requirement. This paper documents the measured performance of a 2” (length) × 2” (diameter) of LaBr3 scintillation detector system, coupled to a negatively biased PMT and a tapered active high voltage divider, with count-rates up to ∼3 Mcps. An experimental methodology was developed that uses the average current from the PMT’s anode and a dual source method to characterize the detector system at specific very high count rate values. Delayed γ-ray spectra were acquired with the LaBr3 detector system at the Idaho Accelerator Center, Idaho State University, where samples of ∼3g of 235U were irradiated with moderated neutrons from a photo-neutron source. Results of the spectroscopy characterization and analysis of the delayed γ-ray spectra acquired indicate the possible use of LaBr3 scintillation detectors when high count rate capability may outweigh the lower energy resolution.

Numerical simulation on scintillator detector response for determining element content in PGNAA system

For selecting gamma ray detector to determining element content using prompt gamma neutron activation analysis technique, the response of BGO and LaBr3 scintillator detectors was compared with Monte Carlo simulation method. The simulation models under different formation composed of various elements were established by MCNP, and then gamma ray spectrum was processed by least squares method. It is concluded that the element calculation accuracy will be different when scintillator was changed. With higher energy resolution, LaBr3 scintillator can be used to improve the accuracy of the element content calculation result, and is more suitable for plentiful element formation.

Evolution of collectivity near mid-shell from excited-state lifetime measurements in rare earth nuclei

The B(E2) excitation strength of the first excited 2(+) state in even-even nuclei should directly correlate with the size of the valence space and maximize at mid-shell. A previously found saturation of B(E2) strengths in well-deformed rotors at mid-shell is tested through high-precision measurements of the lifetimes of the lowest-lying 2(+) states of the Hf-168 and W-174 rare earth isotopes. Measurements were performed using fast LaBr3 scintillation detectors. Combined with the recently remeasured B(E2; 2(1)(+) -> 0(1)(+)) values for Hf and W isotopes the new data remove discrepancies observed in the differentials of B(E2) values for these isotopes.

Application of the anti-Compton detector in neutron activation analysis techniques

In this work we report about performance of the cylindrical 3in.×3in. LaBr3 scintillation detector assembled with a BGO guard detector. This setup was optimized for the identification of explosive materials by means of fast neutron activation analysis.

Prompt γ-rays from the Fast Neutron Induced Fission on 235,238U and 232Th

Preliminary results from the first experiment using the LICORNE neutron source at the IPN Orsay are presented. Prompt fission gamma rays from fast-neutron induced fission of 238U, 232Th and 235U were detected. Thick samples of around 50g of 238U and 232Th are used for the first part of the experiment. An ionisation chamber containing ∼ 10mg samples of 238U and 235U to provide a fission trigger is used for the second part of the experiment. Gamma rays have been detected using 17 high efficiency BaF2 detectors and 6 LaBr3 scintillator detectors.

Estimation of Radionuclide Concentration in Plume Using Pulse Height Distribution Measured by LaBr3 Scintillation Detector and Its Response to Radionuclides in Plume Calculated with egs5

Estimation of Radionuclide Concentration in Plume Using Pulse Height Distribution Measured by LaBr3 Scintillation Detector and Its Response to Radionuclides in Plume Calculated with egs5

Excited State Lifetime Measurements in Rare Earth Nuclei with Fast Electronics

We investigated the collectivity of the lowest excited 2+ states of even-even rare earth nuclei. The B(E2) excitation strengths of these nuclei should directly correlate to the size of the valence space, and maximize at mid-shell. The previously identified saturation of B(E2) strength in well-deformed rotors at mid-shell is put to a high precision test in this series of measurements. Lifetimes of the 2+1 states in 168Hf and 174W have been measured using the newly developed LaBr3 scintillation detectors. The excellent energy resolution in conjunction with superb time properties of the new material allows for reliable handling of background, which is a source of systematic error in such experiments. Preliminary lifetime values are obtained and discussed in the context of previous and ongoing work.

Investigation of the PGNAA using the LaBr3 scintillation detector

The Joint Research Centre of the European Commission develops instrumentation for detection of hazardous materials. In relation to this a new experimental facility was constructed for research into methods applying the detection of characteristic gamma rays subsequent to neutron irradiation. This includes the detection of prompt gamma rays from neutron inelastic scattering and neutron capture. For this purpose the device employs LaBr(3) scintillation detectors. The paper investigates the applicability of the LaBr(3) scintillation detector to PGNAA.

The High-energy Burst Spectrometer for SMESE Mission

The SMall Explorer for Solar Eruptions (SMESE) is a small satellite being developed jointly by China and France. It is planed to launch around the next solar maximum year (∼ 2011) for observing simultaneously the two most violent types of eruptive events on the sun (the coronal mass ejection (CME) and the solar flare) and investigating their relationship. As one of the 3 main payloads of the small satellite, the high energy burst spectrometer (HEBS) adopts the upto- date high-resolution LaBr3 scintillation detector to observe the high-energy solar radiation in the range 10 keV—600 MeV. Its energy resolution is better than 3.0% at 662 keV, 2-fold higher than that of current scintillation detectors, promising a breakthrough in the studies of energy release in solar flares and CMEs, particle acceleration and the relationship between solar flares and CMEs.