4πβ(PS)-4πγ(GE) list-mode coincidence counter and its applications

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Instrumentation
• Radiochemistry
• Metrology

Background:

• Traditional radioactivity measurement techniques often face limitations in precision and efficiency.
• The development of advanced detection systems is crucial for accurate radionuclide quantification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel 4πβ-4πγ coincidence counter for high-precision radioactivity measurements.
• To implement digital coincidence counting and list-mode data acquisition for enhanced analytical capabilities.
• To investigate methods for improving efficiency functions using weighted averages for multiple gamma windows.

Main Methods:

• Construction of a 4πβ-4πγ counter integrating a 4π plastic scintillation detector and a well-type germanium detector.
• Utilization of digital coincidence counting with direct pulse feeding to a digitizer.
• Implementation of a sliding scale Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) for peak-hold signal conversion.
• Offline data analysis capabilities enabled by time-stamped, event-channel registered digital data.
• Investigation of weighted averaging techniques for apparent efficiency improvement.

Main Results:

• Successful development of a 4πβ-4πγ coincidence counter with digital data acquisition.
• Demonstration of offline data analysis capabilities for complex radioactivity measurements.
• Validation of the system through activity measurements of iron-59 ((59)Fe).
• Exploration of weighted averaging for optimizing efficiency functions in multi-gamma window settings.

Conclusions:

• The developed 4πβ-4πγ counter offers a robust platform for precise radionuclide activity determination.
• Digital coincidence counting and list-mode data storage provide significant advantages for offline analysis and system optimization.
• The proposed method for improving efficiency functions shows promise for enhancing measurement accuracy.