Evaluation of a one-dimensional position-sensitive quartz optical fiber sensor based on the time-of-flight method for high radiation dose rate applications

Terasaka, Yuta; Watanabe, Kenichi*; Uritani, Akira*

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A, 996, p.165151_1 - 165151_8, 2021/04

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2021.165151

For the measurement of radiation distribution inside the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS) buildings, the evaluation of a small-diameter quartz optical fiber as a one-dimensional position-sensitive sensor was conducted. The sensor determines the incident position of radiation into the fiber using the time-of-flight information of emitted Cerenkov photons in the optical fiber. Compared with the conventional sensor using the plastic scintillating fiber, the quartz optical fiber has much higher position resolution, which may be the result of the improvement of timing characteristics caused by the prompt emission mechanism of the Cerenkov radiation. Additionally, the response of position-sensitive quartz optical fiber sensor under high radiation field was evaluated, and good count rate linearity was confirmed using the 10 m long quartz optical fiber with a diameter of 0.4 mm up to the dose rate at least 20 mSv/h, and the radiation tolerance property up to the accumulated dose of 1 kGy was evaluated.