Advanced Nuclear Radiation Detectors

This book is a comprehensive guide to the current state-of-the-art science and technology involved in the analysis and development of gamma-ray nuclear materials for commercial, medical, industrial, military and space applications. It reviews the current and upcoming materials and material-based technologies for gamma-ray detectors, as well as their growth process in various forms, such as single crystals, films, and ceramics. Thoroughly compiled, it is ideal for graduate students, engineers, technicians, scientists and managers. It brings to both novice and advanced readers all the topics required to jump-start investigations on gamma-ray materials and their growth. Key Features: Provides the state-of-the-art in this rapidly evolving domain with a focus on third generation crystals for nuclear radiation detectors The only book to cover fundamentals, applications, and the latest research results Includes processing techniques and discusses the applications of nuclear detectors Discusses potential materials that can be used in nuclear detection Presents the future of nuclear detectors

Radiation Detection: Concepts, Methods, and Devices provides a modern overview of radiation detection devices and radiation measurement methods. The book topics have been selected on the basis of the authors’ many years of experience designing radiation detectors and teaching radiation detection and measurement in a classroom environment. This book is designed to give the reader more than a glimpse at radiation detection devices and a few packaged equations. Rather it seeks to provide an understanding that allows the reader to choose the appropriate detection technology for a particular application, to design detectors, and to competently perform radiation measurements. The authors describe assumptions used to derive frequently encountered equations used in radiation detection and measurement, thereby providing insight when and when not to apply the many approaches used in different aspects of radiation detection. Detailed in many of the chapters are specific aspects of radiation detectors, including comprehensive reviews of the historical development and current state of each topic. Such a review necessarily entails citations to many of the important discoveries, providing a resource to find quickly additional and more detailed information. This book generally has five main themes: Physics and Electrostatics needed to Design Radiation Detectors Properties and Design of Common Radiation Detectors Description and Modeling of the Different Types of Radiation Detectors Radiation Measurements and Subsequent Analysis Introductory Electronics Used for Radiation Detectors Topics covered include atomic and nuclear physics, radiation interactions, sources of radiation, and background radiation. Detector operation is addressed with chapters on radiation counting statistics, radiation source and detector effects, electrostatics for signal generation, solid-state and semiconductor physics, background radiations, and radiation counting and spectroscopy. Detectors for gamma-rays, charged-particles, and neutrons are detailed in chapters on gas-filled, scintillator, semiconductor, thermoluminescence and optically stimulated luminescence, photographic film, and a variety of other detection devices.

This book offers readers an overview of some of the most recent advances in the field of advanced materials used for gamma and X-ray imaging. Coverage includes both technology and applications, with an in-depth review of the research topics from leading specialists in the field. Emphasis is on high-Z materials like CdTe, CZT and GaAs, as well as perovskite crystals, since they offer the best implementation possibilities for direct conversion X-ray detectors. Authors discuss material challenges, detector operation physics and technology and readout integrated circuits required to detect signals processes by high-Z sensors.

There have been many interesting developments in the field of nuclear radiation detectors, especially in those using semiconduct ing materials. The purpose of this book is to present a survey of the developments in semiconductor detectors along with discus sions about gas counters and scintillation counters. These discus sions are directed to detector users, usually scientists and technicians in different fields such as chemistry, geology, bio chemistry, and medicine. The operation of these detectors is discussed in terms of basic properties, such as efficiency, energy resolution, and resolving time, which are defmed in the first chapter. Differences among these detectors in terms of these properties are pointed out. Chapter 2, on interaction of radiations with matter, discusses how different radiations lose energies in matter and how differences in their behavior in matter affect the design and operation of detectors. Although emphasis is placed on fundamentals throughout the book, the reader is also made aware of the new developments in the field of radiation quite often detection. The author has taught a course in radioisotopes for several years for science, engineering, medical, and dental students. The emphasis on topics varied from time to time to satisfy the varying interests of the students. However, the contents of this book formed the core of the course. About ten selected experiments on detectors were done along with this course (a list of these vii Preface viii experiments may be supplied on request).

This book is intended for senior undergraduate and beginning graduate students in physics, nuclear engineering, health physics and nuclear medicine, and for specialized training courses for radiation protection personnel and environmental safety engineers.To keep the size of the book manageable, material has been selected to stress those detectors that are in widespread use. Attempts have also been made to emphasize alternatives available in approaching various measurement problems and to present the criteria by which a choice among these alternatives may be made.