• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.137-142
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• 2018

Background: Gamma-ray detectors having a thin window of a material with low atomic number can increase the true coincidence summing effects for radionuclides emitting X-rays or gamma-rays. This effect can make efficiency calibration or spectrum analysis more complicated. In this study, a Cu shield was tested as an X-ray filter to neglect the true coincidence summing effect by X-rays and gamma-rays in gamma-ray spectrometry, in order to simplify gamma-ray energy spectrum analysis. Materials and Methods: A Cu shield was designed and applied to an n-type high-purity germanium detector having an $X-{\gamma}$ summing effect during efficiency calibration. This was tested using a commercial, certified mixed gamma-ray source. The feasibility of a Cu shield was evaluated by comparing efficiency calibration results with and without the shield. Results and Discussion: In this study, the thickness of a Cu shield needed to avoid true coincidence summing effects due to $X-{\gamma}$ was tested and determined to be 1 mm, considering the detection efficiency desired for higher energy. As a result, the accuracy of the detection efficiency calibration was improved by more than 13% by reducing $X-{\gamma}$ summing. Conclusion: The $X-{\gamma}$ summing effect should be considered, along with ${\gamma}-{\gamma}$ summing, when a detection efficiency calibration is implemented and appropriate shielding material can be useful for simplifying analysis of the gamma-ray energy spectra.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.457-464
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• 2000

In this paper, we describe the results of various calculations performed for a design of the thickness gauges that use the gamma-ray backscattering method. The radiation source is assumed to be the $_{24}$1Am(60keV gamma-ray) and the detector is a single crystal scintillator in a cylindrical form. The source is located at the center of the detector with the collimator of a cylindrical shape. First, when gamma-rays are incident on a material with a constant angle, we compute the variations of the spectrum for the photons scattered into different angular intervals. Next, we compute for an optimal size for the collimator cylinder for a fixed detector size and an optimal distance from the detector to the material. Finally, we compute the number of observed photons for different thickness of two different materials, a plastic film and an Al foil.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.69-81
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• 2022

The method of measuring and classifying the energy category of neutrons directly using raw data acquired through a CZT detector is not satisfactory, in terms of accuracy and efficiency, because of its poor energy resolution and low measurement efficiency. Moreover, this method of measuring and analyzing the characteristics of low-energy or low-activity gamma-ray sources might be not accurate and efficient in the case of neutrons because of various factors, such as the noise of the CZT detector itself and the influence of environmental radiation. We have therefore developed an efficient method of analyzing radiation characteristics using a neutron and gamma-ray analysis algorithm for the rapid and clear identification of the type, energy, and radioactivity of gamma-ray sources as well as the detection and classification of the energy category (fast or thermal neutrons) of neutron sources, employing raw data acquired through a CZT detector. The neutron analysis algorithm is based on the fact that in the energy-spectrum channel of 558.6 keV emitted in the nuclear reaction ¹¹³Cd + ¹n → ¹¹⁴Cd + in the CZT detector, there is a notable difference in detection information between a CZT detector without a PE modulator and a CZT detector with a PE modulator, but there is no significant difference between the two detectors in other energy-spectrum channels. In addition, the gamma-ray analysis algorithm uses the difference in the detection information of the CZT detector between the unique characteristic energy-spectrum channel of a gamma-ray source and other channels. This efficient method of analyzing radiation characteristics is expected to be useful for the rapid radiation detection and accurate information collection on radiation sources, which are required to minimize radiation damage and manage accidents in national disaster situations, such as large-scale radioactivity leak accidents at nuclear power plants or nuclear material handling facilities.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.12-24
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• 2003

For the design and set-up of neutron induced prompt ${\gamma}$-ray spectroscopy system using $^{252}Cf$ neutron source, the effects of shielding and moderator materials have been examined. The $^{252}Cf$ source being used for TLD badge calibration in Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute was utilized for this preliminary experiment. The ${\gamma}$-ray background and prompt ${\gamma}$-ray spectrum of the sample containing Cl were measured using HPGe (GMX 60% relative efficiency) located at the inside of the system connected to notebook PC at the outside of the system (about 20 meter distance). The background activities of neutron and ${\gamma}$-rays were measured with neutron survey meter as well as ${\gamma}$-ray survey meters, respectively and the system was designed to minimize the activities. Prompt ${\gamma}$-ray spectrum was measured using ${\gamma}$-${\gamma}$ coincident system for reduce the background and the continuum spectrum. The optimum system was designed and set up using the experimental data obtained.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.317-323
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• 2014

Odyssey, one of the NASA's Mars exploration program and SELENE (Kaguya), a Japanese lunar orbiting spacecraft have a payload of Gamma-Ray Spectrometer (GRS) for analyzing radioactive chemical elements of the atmosphere and the surface. In these days, gamma-ray spectroscopy with a High-Purity Germanium (HPGe) detector has been widely used for the activity measurements of natural radionuclides contained in the soil of the Earth. The energy spectra obtained by the HPGe detectors have been generally analyzed by means of the Window Analysis (WA) method. In this method, activity concentrations are determined by using the net counts of energy window around individual peaks. Meanwhile, an alternative method, the so-called Full Spectrum Analysis (FSA) method uses count numbers not only from full-absorption peaks but from the contributions of Compton scattering due to gamma-rays. Consequently, while it takes a substantial time to obtain a statistically significant result in the WA method, the FSA method requires a much shorter time to reach the same level of the statistical significance. This study shows the validation results of FSA method. We have compared the concentration of radioactivity of $^{40}K$, $^{232}Th$ and $^{238}U$ in the soil measured by the WA method and the FSA method, respectively. The gamma-ray spectrum of reference materials (RGU and RGTh, KCl) and soil samples were measured by the 120% HPGe detector with cosmic muon veto detector. According to the comparison result of activity concentrations between the FSA and the WA, we could conclude that FSA method is validated against the WA method. This study implies that the FSA method can be used in a harsh measurement environment, such as the gamma-ray measurement in the Moon, in which the level of statistical significance is usually required in a much shorter data acquisition time than the WA method.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.14 no.7
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• pp.849-856
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• 2020

In the gamma-ray energy spectrum study, nuclide analysis through energy analysis is very important. High-purity Ge detectors, which are commonly used for gamma-ray energy measurements, are commonly used because of their high energy resolution and relatively high detection efficiency. However, in order to maintain a high energy resolution, the semiconductor detector has a problem in that it is difficult to maintain the original performance if the noise generated from the surrounding environment is not effectively blocked, and the effect of the expensive device is not achieved. Therefore, in this study, ground loop isolator (NEXT-001HDGL) was used to remove the electrical noise generated from the detector. In order to test the effect of improving energy resolution, HPGe detection device newly installed in the proton accelerator KOMAC was used. In the case of gamma-ray energy 2614 keV, the energy resolution was improved from (0.16 ± 0.02) % to (0.11 ± 0.01) %, and in the case of gamma-ray energy 662 keV of 137Cs isotope, the energy resolution was improved from (0.72 ± 0.07) % to (0.27 ± 0.03) %. This result is considered to be very useful for the gamma ray spectrum study using the HPGe detection equipment of KOMAC(Korea Multi-Purpose Accelerator Complex).

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.190-200
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• 2023

As the field of application of in-situ gamma spectroscopy is diversified, proficiency is required for consistent and accurate analysis. In this study, a program was developed to virtually create gamma energy spectra of artificial nuclides, which are difficult to obtain through actual measurements, for training. The virtual spectrum was created by synthesizing the spectra of the background radiation obtained through actual measurement and the theoretical spectra of the artificial radionuclides obtained by a Monte Carlo simulation. Since the theoretical spectrum can only be obtained for a given geometrical structure, representative major geometries for in-situ measurement (ground surface, concrete wall, radioactive waste drum) and the detectors (HPGe, NaI(Tl), LaBr₃(Ce)) were predetermined. Generated virtual spectra were verified in terms of validity and harmonization by gamma spectrometry and energy calibration. As a result, it was confirmed that the energy calibration results including the peaks of the measured spectrum and the peaks of the theoretical spectrum showed differences of less than 1 keV from the actual energies, and that the calculated radioactivity showed a difference within 20% from the actual inputted radioactivity. The verified data were assembled into a database and a program that can generate a virtual spectrum of desired condition was developed.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.3-14
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• 1986

A stud has been carried out for figuring out real photon spectrum from an observed gamma-ray spectrum by means of response matrix method, which is known one of the relatively convenient method for the estimation of exposure rate of a complex gamma ray field in comparison with graphical analysis and least square fitting of the measured spectrum. A 3'${\times}$3' cylindrical Nal(T1) scintillation detector in association with multichannel pulse height analyzer and six reference gamma ray sources covering the photon energy range of 0.05 to 2.0 MeV were used. In dividing the energy region for the construction of response matrix, two different approaches were attempted. One is dividing the entire energy region of interest into 20 bins, one of which corresponds to a width of 0.1 MeV to form $20{\times}20$ matrix, and another is dividing the 2 MeV region into 14 bins to form $14{\times}14$ matrix consists of $0.1(MeV)^{1/2}$ intervals assuming the resolution of the detector is dependent on square root of the incident photon energy. Inversion of thus constructed matrices was performed by a computor(P-E8/32) using the program attached to the end of this paper. The resultant exposure rates obtained by this method were in good agreement, within 10% with those calculated by ordinary formula widely used for a gamma-ray field of known energy and flux. It is concluded that the photen flux obtained by the response matrix constructed under the assumption of $E^{1/2}$ dependence is more realistic than that obtained by the matrix consist of identical energy bins in dosimetrical point of view.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.45-49
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• 2007

keV-neutron capture gamma-ray spectrum of $^{197}Au$(natural gold) sample have been measured in neutron energy range from 10 to 90 keV using the 3-MV pelletron accelerator of the Research Laboratory for Nuclear Reactors at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. Pulsed keV neutrons were produced from the $^7Li(p,n)^7Be$ reaction by bombarding on the $^7Li$ target with the 1.5-ns bunched proton beam. The incident neutron spectrum on the Au sample was measured by a $^6Li$-glass scintillation detector and TOF method. Capture gamma-rays from Au sample were measured by anti-Compton NaI(TI) spectrometer. Five average neutron energy regions were selected to obtain the neutron capture spectrum. Several gamma-ray peaks in the spectrum were found in the present experiment.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.9
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• pp.3401-3408
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• 2023

In this study, we used the Monte Carlo N-Particle program to simulate the gamma-ray spectra obtained from plastic scintillators holes filled with bismuth nanoparticles. We confirmed that the incorporation of bismuth nanoparticles into a plastic scintillator enhances its performance for gamma-ray spectroscopy using the subtraction method. The subtracted energy spectra obtained from the bismuth-nanoparticle-incorporated and the original plastic scintillator exhibit a distinct energy peak that does not appear in the corresponding original spectra. We varied the diameter and depth of the bismuth-filled holes to determine the optimal hole design for gamma-ray spectroscopy using the subtraction method. We evaluated the energy resolutions of the energy peaks in the gamma-ray spectra to estimate the effects of the bismuth nanoparticles and determine their optimum volume in the plastic scintillator. In addition, we calculated the peak-to-total ratio of the energy spectrum to evaluate the energy measuring limit of the bismuth nanoparticle-containing plastic scintillator using the subtraction method.