Response and calibration of organic scintillators for gamma-ray spectroscopy up to 15-MeV range

J. Nattress; I. Jovanovic

doi:10.1016/j.nima.2017.07.024

Response and calibration of organic scintillators for gamma-ray spectroscopy up to 15-MeV range

J. Nattress, I. Jovanovic

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

11 Scopus citations

Abstract

We present a calibration method for an organic scintillator suitable for gamma energies of up to 15 MeV. We use a combination of experiments and simulations to identify prominent features in the light output spectra to provide an accurate calibration method over this energy range. Gamma energies in the range of 0.511 MeV to 15.1 MeV were used to perform two separate calibrations to the measured light output expressed in the units of electron equivalent energy. The first method strictly uses the well-known technique of identifying the Compton edges, while the second utilizes a combination of Compton edges and double escape peaks for several gamma energies. We performed a least-squares test to the high end of the light output spectra for a 15.1 MeV gamma ray to assess the accuracy of the two methods. The calibration technique that employs a combination of Compton edges and escape peaks yielded a significant improvement in accuracy when compared to a calibration that relies solely on the use of Compton edges.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1-7
Number of pages	7
Journal	Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Volume	871
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2017.07.024
State	Published - Nov 1 2017
Externally published	Yes

Funding

The authors would like to thank P. Rose and A. Erickson of Georgia Institute of Technology for their assistance during the experimental measurements and P. Binns of MIT Bates Linear Accelerator Center for help with operating the linear accelerator. This work was supported by the US Department of Homeland Security[2014-DN-077-ARI078-02 and 2015-DN-077-ARI096]. The research of J.N. was performed under appointment to the Nuclear Nonproliferation International Safeguards Fellowship Program sponsored by the National Nuclear Security Administration's Office of International Safeguards (NA-241).

Funders	Funder number
National Nuclear Security Administration's Office of International Safeguards	NA-241
U.S. Department of Homeland Security	2014-DN-077-ARI078-02, 2015-DN-077-ARI096
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Keywords

Calibration
Gamma spectroscopy
Organic scintillator

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10.1016/j.nima.2017.07.024

Cite this

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title = "Response and calibration of organic scintillators for gamma-ray spectroscopy up to 15-MeV range",

abstract = "We present a calibration method for an organic scintillator suitable for gamma energies of up to 15 MeV. We use a combination of experiments and simulations to identify prominent features in the light output spectra to provide an accurate calibration method over this energy range. Gamma energies in the range of 0.511 MeV to 15.1 MeV were used to perform two separate calibrations to the measured light output expressed in the units of electron equivalent energy. The first method strictly uses the well-known technique of identifying the Compton edges, while the second utilizes a combination of Compton edges and double escape peaks for several gamma energies. We performed a least-squares test to the high end of the light output spectra for a 15.1 MeV gamma ray to assess the accuracy of the two methods. The calibration technique that employs a combination of Compton edges and escape peaks yielded a significant improvement in accuracy when compared to a calibration that relies solely on the use of Compton edges.",

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AU - Jovanovic, I.

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N2 - We present a calibration method for an organic scintillator suitable for gamma energies of up to 15 MeV. We use a combination of experiments and simulations to identify prominent features in the light output spectra to provide an accurate calibration method over this energy range. Gamma energies in the range of 0.511 MeV to 15.1 MeV were used to perform two separate calibrations to the measured light output expressed in the units of electron equivalent energy. The first method strictly uses the well-known technique of identifying the Compton edges, while the second utilizes a combination of Compton edges and double escape peaks for several gamma energies. We performed a least-squares test to the high end of the light output spectra for a 15.1 MeV gamma ray to assess the accuracy of the two methods. The calibration technique that employs a combination of Compton edges and escape peaks yielded a significant improvement in accuracy when compared to a calibration that relies solely on the use of Compton edges.

AB - We present a calibration method for an organic scintillator suitable for gamma energies of up to 15 MeV. We use a combination of experiments and simulations to identify prominent features in the light output spectra to provide an accurate calibration method over this energy range. Gamma energies in the range of 0.511 MeV to 15.1 MeV were used to perform two separate calibrations to the measured light output expressed in the units of electron equivalent energy. The first method strictly uses the well-known technique of identifying the Compton edges, while the second utilizes a combination of Compton edges and double escape peaks for several gamma energies. We performed a least-squares test to the high end of the light output spectra for a 15.1 MeV gamma ray to assess the accuracy of the two methods. The calibration technique that employs a combination of Compton edges and escape peaks yielded a significant improvement in accuracy when compared to a calibration that relies solely on the use of Compton edges.

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KW - Organic scintillator

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JO - Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment

JF - Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment

ER -

Response and calibration of organic scintillators for gamma-ray spectroscopy up to 15-MeV range

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

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