Neutron and gamma ray monitor

• US 7,525,101 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2006
• Issued: 04/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thermo Niton Analyzers LLC (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Thermo Niton Analyzers LLC (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Grodzins, Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Porta; David P
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, SHUN K
• Application Number:
  US11/442,638
• Publication Number:
  US 20070272874A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,068 Days
• Field of Search: 250/390.11
• US Class Current: 250/390.11
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 3/06 with scintillation detectors

Abstract

An apparatus for selective radiation detection includes a neutron detector that facilitates detection of neutron emitters, e.g. plutonium, and the like; a gamma ray detector that facilitates detection of gamma ray sources, e.g., uranium, and the like. The apparatus comprises a first light guide, optically coupled to a first optical detector; a second light guide, optically coupled to a second optical detector a sheet of neutron scintillator, opaque for incoming optical photons, said sheet of neutron scintillator sandwiched between the first and the second light guides. The second light guide comprises a gamma ray scintillator material.

Claims

1. An apparatus for selective radiation detection, comprising:

a first light guide, optically coupled to a first optical detector;

a second light guide, optically coupled to a second optical detector, said second light guide comprising a gamma ray scintillator material;

a sheet of neutron scintillator, opaque for incoming optical photons, said sheet of neutron scintillator sandwiched between the first and the second light guides; and

a processor, coupled to the first and second optical detectors, configured to classify detected radiation as neutrons or gamma rays depending on whether signals generated by the first and second detectors are concident.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light guides thermalize fast neutrons so that they are captured by the neutron scintillator, producing optical light.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the light guides comprise a hydrogenous material that thermalizes fast neutrons.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the light guide includes at least one material selected from water, organic solvents, mineral oil, and organic polymers.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the neutron scintillator comprises a thermal neutron capturing isotope component and a scintillation component that scintillates upon exposure of the capturing isotope to thermal neutrons.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the capturing isotope is selected from ⁶Li, ¹⁰B, ¹¹³Cd, and ¹⁵⁷Gd.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the neutron scintillator comprises ⁶LiF and ZnS.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the gamma ray scintillator comprises a plastic scintillator or a liquid scintillator.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the gamma ray scintillator comprises a material selected from NaI(Tl), CsI(Tl), BGO, BaF₂, LSO, and CdWO₄.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a display coupled to the processor to display radiation detection results.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is adapted to be handheld.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein plural neutron scintillator sheets interleave plural light guide plates.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising plural optical detectors optically coupled to the light guide plates.

14. A method for selectively detecting radiation, comprising the steps of:

exposing to radiation a device comprising;

a first light guide, optically coupled to a first optical detector;

a second light guide, optically coupled to a second optical detector, said second light guide comprising a gamma ray scintillator material;

a sheet of neutron scintillator opaque for incoming optical photons, said sheet of neutron scintillator sandwiched between the first and the second light guides; and

classifying detected radiation as neutrons or gamma rays depending on whether signals generated by the first and the second optical detectors are coincident.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the detected radiation is classified as neutrons if coincidence of the signals from the first optical detector and the second optical detector is detected.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the detected radiation is classified as gamma rays if the signal from the second optical detector is detected, but the signal from the first optical detector is not detected.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the light guides thermalize fast neutrons so that they are captured by the neutron scintillator producing optical light.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the light guide comprises a hydrogenous material that thermalizes fast neutrons.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising displaying radiation detection results on a display coupled to a processor.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the device is adapted to be handheld.