• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
• /
• 제48권4호
• /
• pp.167-174
• /
• 2023

Background: A nondestructive test is commonly used to inspect the surface defects and internal structure of an object without any physical damage. X-rays generated from an electron accelerator or a tube are one of the methods used for nondestructive testing. The high penetration of X-rays through materials with low atomic numbers makes it difficult to discriminate between these materials using X-ray imaging. The interaction characteristics of neutrons with materials can supplement the limitations of X-ray imaging in material discrimination. Materials and Methods: The radiation image acquisition process for air-cargo security inspection equipment using X-rays and neutrons was simulated using a GEometry ANd Tracking (Geant4) simulation toolkit. Radiation images of phantoms composed of 13 materials were obtained, and the R-value, representing the attenuation ratio of neutrons and gamma rays in a material, was calculated from these images. Results and Discussion: The R-values were calculated from the simulated X-ray and neutron images for each phantom and compared with those obtained in the experiments. The R-values obtained from the experiments were higher than those obtained from the simulations. The difference can be due to the following two causes. The first reason is that there are various facilities or equipment in the experimental environment that scatter neutrons, unlike the simulation. The other is the difference in the neutron signal processing. In the simulation, the neutron signal is the sum of the number of neutrons entering the detector. However, in the experiment, the neutron signal was obtained by superimposing the intensities of the neutron signals. Neutron detectors also detect gamma rays, and the neutron signal cannot be clearly distinguished in the process of separating the two types of radiation. Despite these differences, the two results showed similar trends and the viability of using simulation-based radiation images, particularly in the field of security screening. With further research, the simulation-based radiation images can replace ones from experiments and be used in the related fields. Conclusion: The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute has developed air-cargo security inspection equipment using neutrons and X-rays. Using this equipment, radiation images and R-values for various materials were obtained. The equipment was reconstructed, and the R-values were obtained for 13 materials using the Geant4 simulation toolkit. The R-values calculated by experiment and simulation show similar trends. Therefore, we confirmed the feasibility of using the simulation-based radiation image.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
• /
• 제26권3호
• /
• pp.231-236
• /
• 2001

A brief introduction is presented on the radiation safety studies at Tohoku University Cyclotron & Radioisotope Center. Studies on two subject are described; (1) measurement of the thick target neutron yield and radioisotope production / activation cross section for ten's of MeV neutrons and ions using K=110 Tohoku University cyclotron to provide basicdata for accelerator shielding, and (2) development of techniques for high sensitive radiation detection and profile measurement using an Imaging Plate which is a high sensitive two-dimensional radiation sensor. Application of the Imaging Plate techniques to localization of very weak radioactivity and to neutron profile measurement is described.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 한국신재생에너지학회 2008년도 추계학술대회 논문집
• /
• pp.14-16
• /
• 2008

자동차 구동용 연료전지 스택에 적용된 분리판에 대하여 연료전지 내부의 수분분포 및 농도를 측정할 수 있는 중성자 가시화 기법을 이용하여 구조진단을 실시하여 유로의 분기부 및 180도 회전부의 수분 응축과 같은 국부적인 Flooding 현상과 분리판의 반응면적 전체에 대한 불균일한 수분분포를 확인하였다. 신규 개발 스택에 적용된 분리판은 이러한 구조진단 결과를 바탕으로 변형된 유로 도입을 통한 180도 회전부 제거, 냉각수 입구와 인접한 부분에서 교차하게 되는 수소 출구 부분의 수분응축에 의한 Flooding 현상을 완화하기 위한 냉각수 유로를 적용하여 중성자 가시화 기법을 통하여 동일한 가습조건에서 부하에 따른 분리판 반응면적 전체에 대한 수분분포를 조사하였다.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• 제49권4호
• /
• pp.781-786
• /
• 2017

The presence of crust on the inner walls of metallic ducts impairs transportation because crust completely or partially hinders the passage of fluid to the processing unit and causes damage to equipment connected to the production line. Its localization is crucial. With the development of the electronic imaging system installed at the Argonauta/Nuclear Engineering Institute (IEN)/National Nuclear Energy Commission (CNEN) reactor, it became possible to visualize crust in the interior of metallic piping of small diameter using real-time neutron radiography images obtained with a low neutron flux. The obtained images showed the resistance offered by crust on the passage of water inside the pipe. No discrepancy of the flow profile at the bottom of the pipe, before the crust region, was registered. However, after the passage of liquid through the pipe, images of the disturbances of the flow were clear and discrepancies in the flow profile were steep. This shows that this technique added the assembled apparatus was efficient for the visualization of the crust and of the two-phase flows.

• 대한방사성의약품학회지
• /
• 제8권2호
• /
• pp.113-118
• /
• 2022

Gadolinium neutron capture therapy (Gd-NCT) is a precision radiation therapy that kills cancer cells using the neutron capture reaction that occurs when ¹⁵⁷Gd hits thermal neutrons. ¹⁵⁷Gd has the highest thermal neutron capture cross section of 254,000 barns among stable isotopes in the periodic table. Another stable isotope, ¹⁵⁵Gd, also has a high thermal neutron trapping area (~ 60,700 barns), so gadolinium that exists in nature can be used as a Gd-NCT drug. Gd-NCT is a mixed kinetic energy of low-energy and high-energy ionizing particles, which can be uniformly distributed throughout the tumor tissue, thereby solving the disadvantage of heterogeneous dose distribution in tumor tissue. The Gd complexes of small-sized molecule are widely used as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in clinical practice. Therefore, these compounds can be used not only for diagnosis but also therapy when considering the concept of Gd-NCT. This multifunctional trial can look forward to new medical advance into NCT clinical practices. In this review, we introduce gadolinium compounds suitable for Gd-NCT and describe the necessity of image guided Gd-NCT.

• 한국원자력학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 한국원자력학회 2005년도 춘계학술발표회
• /
• pp.683-684
• /
• 2005

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
• /
• 제40권2호
• /
• pp.79-86
• /
• 2015

헬륨-3는 높은 반응효율, 장시간 사용가능성, 감마선에 대한 낮은 반응확률 등과 같은 장점들을 가지고 있기 때문에 대부분의 중성자 검출기의 반응물질로 사용되어 왔다. 그러나 지난 몇 년 사이 전세계적인 헬륨-3의 부족으로 인해 기체의 수급이 어려워지고 있고 이에 따라 가격이 급격히 증가하게 되었다. 이러한 이유로 헬륨-3 대체 물질들을 이용한 고효율의 중성자 검출기의 개발에 대한 연구가 많은 연구그룹에 의해 활발히 진행되기 시작하였다. 이러한 연구에서는 다양한 물질들을 이용하고 있으며, 이 중에서 붕소-10은 다른 대체물질과 비교할 때 상대적으로 높은 중성자 반응확률, 낮은 감마반응효율, 물질의 안정성, 가격적 이점 그리고 기존 헬륨-3를 이용한 검출기의 계측회로의 재활용 가능성 등과 같은 장점들 때문에 많은 연구그룹에서 붕소-10을 이용한 중성자 검출기 개발을 진행하고 있다. 본 논문에서는 중성자 검출기에 사용될 수 있는 붕소-10 박막을 개발하고 이에 대한 성능평가를 수행하였다. 중성자 검출기의 반응물질로 붕소-10을 사용하기 위해서는 중성자와 붕소-10이 반응하여 생성되는 이차방사선을 측정할 수 있어야 한다. 본 연구에서 활용한 기체충진형 중성자 검출기의 경우 붕소-10을 얇은 박막 형태로 제작하여 중성자와 반응하여 생성된 이차방사선이 기체를 이온화 시켜서 생성되는 이온쌍을 측정하는 방법을 이용한다. 그러므로 중성자 반응효율과 이차방사선의 재흡수율을 고려한 붕소-10(탄화붕소)의 적절한 두께를 선정할 필요가 있다. 이를 위해서 본 논문에서는 몬테칼로 기법을 이용하는 MCNP6를 이용하여 다양한 두께에 따른 중성자신호수집효율의 변화를 계산하였다. 또한, 스퍼터링 기법을 이용하여 다양한 두께의 박막을 제작하고 이를 이용하여 중성자 반응신호를 측정하였다. 그리고 제작된 박막의 2차원 모니터링을 위한 다중선 비례계수기의 적용가능성을 타진하기 위해 제작된 붕소박막이 설치된 2차원 다중선 비례계수기를 제작하고 중성자 응답 특성을 평가하였다.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• 제52권11호
• /
• pp.2572-2580
• /
• 2020

Emerging gamma ray detection applications that utilize neutron-based interrogation result in the prompt emission of high-energy (>2 MeV) gamma-rays. Rapid imaging is enabled by scintillators that possess high density, high atomic number, and excellent energy resolution. In this paper, we evaluate the bright (50,000 photons/MeV) oxide scintillator, cerium-doped Gd₂Al₂Ga₃O₁₂ (GAGG(Ce)). A silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) array is coupled to a GAGG(Ce) scintillator array (12 × 12 pixels) and integrated into a coded-aperture based gamma-ray imaging system. A resistor-based symmetric charge division circuit was used reduce the multiplicity of the analog outputs from 144 to 4. The developed system exhibits 9.1%, 8.3%, and 8.0% FWHM energy resolutions at 511 keV, 662 keV, and 1173.2 keV, respectively. In addition, a pixel-identification resolution of 602 ㎛ FWHM was obtained from the GAGG(Ce) scintillator array.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• 제52권1호
• /
• pp.155-163
• /
• 2020

To investigate the optimal detector material for prompt gamma imaging during boron neutron capture therapy, in this study, we evaluated the characteristic regarding radiation reaction of available detector materials using a Monte Carlo simulation. Sixteen detector materials used for radiation detection were investigated to assess their advantages and drawbacks. The estimations used previous experimental data to build the simulation codes. The energy resolution and detection efficiency of each material was investigated, and prompt gamma images during BNCT simulation were acquired using only the detectors that showed good performance in our preliminary data. From the simulation, we could evaluate the majority of detector materials in BNCT and also could acquire a prompt gamma image using the six high ranked-detector materials and lutetium yttrium oxyorthosilicate. We provide a strategy to select an optimal detector material for the prompt gamma imaging during BNCT with three conclusions.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
• /
• 제46권3호
• /
• pp.112-119
• /
• 2021

Background: This work aims to develop a new imaging system based on a pulse shape discrimination-capable Cs₂LiYCl₆:Ce (CLYC) scintillation detector combined with the rotational modulation collimator (RMC) technique for dual-particle imaging. Materials and Methods: In this study, a CLYC-based RMC system was designed based on Monte Carlo simulations, and a prototype was fabricated. Therein, a rotation control system was developed to rotate the RMC unit precisely, and a graphical user interface-based software was also developed to operate the data acquisition with RMC rotation. The RMC system was developed to allow combining various types of collimator masks and detectors interchangeably, making the imaging system more versatile for various applications and conditions. Results and Discussion: Operational performance of the fabricated system was studied by checking the accuracy and precision of the collimator rotation and obtaining modulation patterns from a gamma-ray source repeatedly. Conclusion: The prototype RMC system showed reliability in its mechanical properties and reproducibility in the acquisition of modulation patterns, and it will be further investigated for its dual-particle imaging capability with various complex radioactive source conditions.