Characterization of γ -Ray Cross Talk in Cherenkov-Based Detectors for Active Interrogation Imaging Applications

Joseph Harms; Paul B. Rose; Anna Erickson

doi:10.1109/JSEN.2017.2745711

Characterization of γ -Ray Cross Talk in Cherenkov-Based Detectors for Active Interrogation Imaging Applications

Joseph Harms, Paul B. Rose, Anna Erickson

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

In imaging arrays, the sensors are typically packed as tightly as possible to maximize spatial resolution, which leads to detector-to-detector scatter, or cross talk, adding to image noise and hindering contrast. In this paper, we compare custom-made quartz-based Cherenkov detectors with an inherent energy threshold to low-energy photons to standard sodium iodide detectors, which are typically used for x-ray detection due to their efficiency and spectroscopic capabilities. In particular, we evaluate pulse pileup and cross talk effects in high-flux applications. The quartz detectors, while having reduced intrinsic efficiency, outperform the sodium iodide with regards to pileup and cross talk. Simulation further shows that even at a 4 mm edge-to-edge separation, cross talk contributes less than 2% of the total signal in Cherenkov detectors.

Original language	English
Article number	8017405
Pages (from-to)	6707-6715
Number of pages	9
Journal	IEEE Sensors Journal
Volume	17
Issue number	20
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/JSEN.2017.2745711
State	Published - Oct 15 2017
Externally published	Yes

Funding

Manuscript received July 7, 2017; revised August 15, 2017; accepted August 23, 2017. Date of publication August 29, 2017; date of current version September 25, 2017. This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security under Grant 2014-DN-077-ARI079-02 and Grant 2015-DN-077-ARI096. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The associate editor coordinating the review of this paper and approving it for publication was Prof. Yu-Te Liao. (Corresponding author: Anna Erickson.) The authors are with the Nuclear and Radiological Engineering and Medical Physics Programs, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332 USA (e-mail: [email protected]). Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/JSEN.2017.2745711

Funders	Funder number
U.S. Department of Homeland Security	2014-DN-077-ARI079-02, 2015-DN-077-ARI096

Keywords

Active interrogation
Cherenkov detectors
cross talk
imaging
nonproliferation

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10.1109/JSEN.2017.2745711

Cite this

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title = "Characterization of γ -Ray Cross Talk in Cherenkov-Based Detectors for Active Interrogation Imaging Applications",

abstract = "In imaging arrays, the sensors are typically packed as tightly as possible to maximize spatial resolution, which leads to detector-to-detector scatter, or cross talk, adding to image noise and hindering contrast. In this paper, we compare custom-made quartz-based Cherenkov detectors with an inherent energy threshold to low-energy photons to standard sodium iodide detectors, which are typically used for x-ray detection due to their efficiency and spectroscopic capabilities. In particular, we evaluate pulse pileup and cross talk effects in high-flux applications. The quartz detectors, while having reduced intrinsic efficiency, outperform the sodium iodide with regards to pileup and cross talk. Simulation further shows that even at a 4 mm edge-to-edge separation, cross talk contributes less than 2% of the total signal in Cherenkov detectors.",

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AB - In imaging arrays, the sensors are typically packed as tightly as possible to maximize spatial resolution, which leads to detector-to-detector scatter, or cross talk, adding to image noise and hindering contrast. In this paper, we compare custom-made quartz-based Cherenkov detectors with an inherent energy threshold to low-energy photons to standard sodium iodide detectors, which are typically used for x-ray detection due to their efficiency and spectroscopic capabilities. In particular, we evaluate pulse pileup and cross talk effects in high-flux applications. The quartz detectors, while having reduced intrinsic efficiency, outperform the sodium iodide with regards to pileup and cross talk. Simulation further shows that even at a 4 mm edge-to-edge separation, cross talk contributes less than 2% of the total signal in Cherenkov detectors.

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Characterization of γ -Ray Cross Talk in Cherenkov-Based Detectors for Active Interrogation Imaging Applications

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Keywords

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