Gamma In Addition to Neutron Tomography (GIANT) at the NECTAR instrument

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Physics
• Instrumentation

Background:

• Neutron imaging is valuable for non-destructive inspection of dense objects.
• Gamma-rays are an unavoidable byproduct of neutron production at facilities like NECTAR.
• Existing dual-mode imaging often combines neutrons with X-rays, which have limited penetration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the utility of gamma-rays as a complementary probe in multimodal imaging.
• To present a novel technique for penetrating centimeter-sized objects using neutrons and gamma-rays.
• To leverage existing infrastructure for enhanced material characterization.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing gamma-sensitive scintillator screens with the existing camera-based detector system.
• Adapting the NECTAR instrument by changing scintillator and beam filter combinations.
• Employing both neutron and gamma-ray detection within the same experimental setup.

Main Results:

• Gamma-rays, previously considered contamination, can be effectively utilized for imaging.
• The developed multimodal technique allows penetration of centimeter-sized objects.
• This approach offers complementary information to neutron imaging, improving contrast and material insight.

Conclusions:

• Gamma-ray imaging can be integrated with neutron imaging for enhanced multimodal analysis.
• The NECTAR instrument is adapted to provide dual-mode neutron and gamma-ray imaging.
• This technique expands the capabilities for non-destructive inspection of dense and large-scale materials.