A Phoswich alpha/beta detector for monitoring in the site of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station

Morishita, Yuki; Takasaki, Koji; Kitayama, Yoshiharu; Tagawa, Akihiro; Shibata, Takuya; Hoshi, Katsuya; Kaneko, Junichi*; Higuchi, Mikio*; Oura, Masatoshi*

Radiation Measurements, 160, p.106896_1 - 106896_10, 2023/01

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radmeas.2022.106896

This study proposes a newly developed phoswich alpha/beta detector that can discriminate alpha and beta particles emitted from the alpha and beta contaminations in the FDNPS site. The phoswich alpha/beta detector is made up of two layers of scintillators that detect alpha and beta particles. The pulse shape discrimination (PSD) method was used to detect alpha particles in high beta particle and high gamma-ray (comparable to gamma-ray dose rate near the FDNPS reactor building) environments. Due to a 23.3% full width at half maximum (FWHM) energy resolution for alpha particles, the detector can be used to distinguish between nuclear fuel materials such as plutonium and its radon progeny (Po-214). Moreover, the detector could distinguish alpha particles from Cs gamma rays with a dose rate background up to 9.0 mSv/h. It is the first to demonstrate that the developed phoswich detector can be used to discriminate and measure alpha and beta particles of the actual contaminated FDNPS samples.

Development of an alpha- and beta-imaging detector using a thin-stilbene plate for radon-222 progeny measurements

Morishita, Yuki

Radiation Measurements, 140, p.106511_1 - 106511_7, 2021/01

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radmeas.2020.106511

Radon-222 (Rn) is a naturally-occurring radioactive gas, and the measurement of this isotope and its progeny is of interest from the viewpoint of protection against internal exposure. We have developed a new alpha beta-imaging detector combined with a waveform digitizer capable of imaging alpha- and beta-particle locations simultaneously. This detector is used for Rn -progeny measurements. The thin-stilbene plate was optically coupled to a position-sensitive photomultiplier tube (PSPMT), and the analog signals from the PSPMT were transferred in parallel to the waveform digitizer. For 5.5-MeV alpha particles, the detection efficiency was 97.2% for 2 steradians, and the energy resolution was 21.6% full width at half maximum (FWHM). The imaging detector was able to discriminate between alpha and beta particles via the pulse-shape-discrimination (PSD) technique, as well as being capable of alpha- and beta-particle imaging. When measuring the Rn progeny, both Bi and Po are imaged simultaneously, and a correlation is found between the positions of Bi and Po. The developed detector will be useful as a Rn detector and in alpha-continuous-air monitoring for nuclear-fuel facilities.

Attempt to estimate the background pulse height spectrum of the CeBr scintillation spectrometer due to terrestrial gamma ray components; Application in environmental radiation monitoring

Kowatari, Munehiko; Tanimura, Yoshihiko; Kessler, P.*; Rttger, A.*

Radiation Measurements, 138, p.106431_1 - 106431_6, 2020/11

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radmeas.2020.106431

Radon measurements with a compact, organic-scintillator-based alpha/beta spectrometer

Morishita, Yuki; Ye, Y.*; Mata, L.*; Pozzi, S. A.*; Kearfott, K. J.*

Radiation Measurements, 137, p.106428_1 - 106428_7, 2020/09

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radmeas.2020.106428

We have developed a compact, organic-scintillator-based alpha/beta spectrometer for radon measurements and have characterized it using a unique, small radon chamber. The spectrometer is composed of a through-silicon via (TSV) silicon photomultiplier (or SiPM) and a 6 mm 6 mm 6 mm stilbene crystal cube. Analog signals from the SiPM are sent to a digitizer. The detector is housed in a light-tight box, with a stacked air filter installed in one side of the box to enable Rn gas to diffuse to the inside. We conducted one experiment with the spectrometer and an AlphaGUARD detector placed in a basement at the University of Michigan, and we conducted other experiments with both detectors placed in a small radon chamber together with Ra sources. By applying a pulse-shape-discrimination technique, we were able to separate the alpha and beta spectra simultaneously and clearly and to measure them quantitatively. We found two peaks in the measured alpha spectrum: a lower-energy peak due to Po and a higher-energy peak due to Po. We found a linear relation between the radon concentration y from AlphaGUARD and the counting rates from the stilbene-SiPM detector. The alpha/beta spectrometer is less than 10 mm thick, and we expect that it will be easy to increase the sensitivity with future device construction. Thus, this compact, organic-scintillator-based alpha/beta spectrometer shows promise for use in novel radon-detection systems.

Prototype test of a portable thyroid dose monitoring system using gamma-ray spectrometers

Nishino, Sho; Tanimura, Yoshihiko; Yoshitomi, Hiroshi; Takahashi, Masa

Radiation Measurements, 134, p.106292_1 - 106292_5, 2020/06

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radmeas.2020.106292

In the situation of a severe nuclear accident, radioiodine monitoring in thyroid should be performed for a large number of people immediately after accident. The portable thyroid dose monitoring system which can be used in a high dose rate condition is in development. In this presentation, the result of performance test using prototype model will be described.

Investigation of using a long-life electronic personal dosimeter for monitoring aviation doses of frequent flyers

Yasuda, Hiroshi*; Yajima, Kazuaki*; Sato, Tatsuhiko

Radiation Measurements, 134, p.106309_1 - 106309_4, 2020/06

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radmeas.2020.106309

We have investigated an application of a recently developed electronic personal dosimeter (D-Shuttle) for aviation dosimetry. As results of measurements in four long-haul flights between Japan and Germany, the D-Shuttle indicated values were in the range of 25 to 30% of the total H(10) values estimated by a route-dose calculations program JISCARD EX. Though we need more measurements and analyses under different flight conditions to conclude, according to these results obtained so far, it would be possible to perform monitoring of the annual aviation doses of frequent flyers by using D-Shuttle on an individual basis.

A Study of a calibration technique for a newly developed thyroid monitor and its uncertainties due to body size for radioiodine measurements

Yoshitomi, Hiroshi; Nishino, Sho; Tanimura, Yoshihiko; Takahashi, Masa

Radiation Measurements, 133, p.106279_1 - 106279_6, 2020/04

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radmeas.2020.106279

Uncertainty of the body size on the counting efficiency of a newly developed thyroid monitor was estimated by Monte Carlo simulations using several voxel phantoms. Overlying tissue thickness was a major impact factor on the counting efficiency. As a result, uncertainty related to the body size of the monitored subject was found to be 25%.

Development of an alpha dust monitor using a GPS scintillator plate

Morishita, Yuki; Kaneko, Junichi*; Higuchi, Mikio*; Izaki, Kenji; Yajima, Tatsuo*; Matsuura, Mitsugu*; Tamura, Ken; Torii, Tatsuo

Radiation Measurements, 122, p.115 - 120, 2019/03

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radmeas.2019.01.011

Flexible alpha camera for detecting plutonium contamination

Morishita, Yuki; Yamamoto, Seiichi*; Izaki, Kenji; Kaneko, Junichi*; Nemoto, Norio

Radiation Measurements, 103, p.33 - 38, 2017/08

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radmeas.2017.04.009

Nuclear fuel materials, such as uranium and plutonium (Pu), are handled at nuclear fuel facilities. There are a contamination source of Pu in tight spaces that cannot be directly measured by a ZnS(Ag) scintillation detector, such as interspace between a glovebox window and a platform, pipe flange, port cover of vinyl bag, and filter interspaces. Therefore, we developed a new imaging detector called a flexible alpha camera that enables to identify the Pu contamination for tight spaces at work sites. The thickness of the flexible alpha camera was only 1/5 of the ZnS(Ag) scintillation detector, and its efficiency for 4-pi direction was 42.7% for 5.5-MeV alpha particles. Minimal detectable activity (MDA) was 0.014 Bq. Four types of PuO sample, removed from a duct, Bag-In/Bag-Out port, glovebox glove, and vinyl sheet, were measured by the flexible alpha camera and the PuO particle was automatically identified. Using the flexible alpha camera, the Pu contamination source can be quickly detected, preventing the spread of contamination.

Behavior of radon progeny produced in a scintillation cell in the flow-through condition

Sakoda, Akihiro; Meisenberg, O.*; Tschiersch, J.*

Radiation Measurements, 77, p.41 - 45, 2015/06

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radmeas.2015.04.006

When a scintillation cell is used for radon measurement, detection efficiencies for individual alpha emitters (Rn, Po and Po) are required depending on the methods of data analysis. The present study describes an attempt to obtain an empirical parameter which is necessary to calculate their individual detection efficiencies in the flow-through cell: the fraction of the progeny generated in the cell which is deposited onto the wall. As a result, an empirical formula was acquired to estimate the deposition fraction of Po as a function of flow rate. This result is helpful in understanding the characteristics of the scintillation cell. The empirical formula derived in this study can also be applied to predicting the behavior of thoron progeny (Pb and its progeny) in continuous thoron measurements with the flow-through scintillation cell.