Experimental verification of real-time gamma-ray energy spectrum and dose monitor

The purpose of this study is to develop a portable monitor that can measure the energy spectrum and dose of gamma-rays simultaneously in real time for the benefit of medical staff who must work in clinical radiation environments. For this purpose, we have developed a prototype monitor using a CsI (Tl) scintillator combined with a multi-pixel photon counter (MPPC). For real-time measurement, we employed an improved sequential Bayesian estimation (k-α method) to convert the measured pulse height spectrum into an energy spectrum. Then we confirmed that reconstruction of the energy spectrum and dose estimation could simultaneously be carried out in real time by the k-α method in a radiation field composed of mixed standard gamma-ray sources. In this study, we carried out measurements in a background gamma-ray field to confirm applicability of the prototype monitor to the weakest type of radiation field. In addition, we conducted measurements in front of a nuclear fuel storage room (∼2 μSv/h) in the authors' laboratory to evaluate practicality of the monitor for measuring fields with a complex energy spectrum. As a result, it was found that the dose could be estimated in about 20 s after start of measurements even in the background field. For the energy spectrum, it was instantly reconstructed within 60 s in front of the fuel storage room. On the other hand, it could successfully be estimated within 10 min in the background gamma-ray field. Currently, the convergence of the energy spectrum is determined visually from time dependent change of the spectrum and dose. As a next step, we will attempt to develop a more quantitative procedure for determining the convergence.