Um contador a gás, com multifios, sensível à posição, para a detecção de raios X foi construído utilizando linhas de atraso integradas para leitura da posição. Seis linhas de atraso (50ns de atraso cada, frequência de corte de 40MHz) cobrem um comprimento sensível total de 150mm, possuindo uma razão do atraso total pelo tempo de subida dos sinais na linha adequadas para a detecção em posição raios X de 5,9keV do ANTIPOT. 55 Fe com alta resolução. Testes usando a forneceram uma não-linearidade linha de integral máxima menor que 0,1% e não-linearidade diferencial máxima de ±4,0%, com o detector utilizando a mistura 700torr. Testes similares foram feitos usando de Ar-CH IND 4 (90%-10%) a a linha de 8,04keV de um tubo de raios X de Cu. Uma resolução total de 330m, e as mesmas não-linearidades integral e diferencial foram obtidas. Com a finalidade de t.est.ar o comportamento do detector sob condições experimentais reais, duas diferentes amostras foram analisadas na região de espalhamento em baixo ângulo. As amostras analisadas foram o carvão vítreo e o dodecil sulfato de sódio (SLS). O feixe de raios X foi colimado por um conjunto de fendas, com 50,um cada uma delas e separadas de 98mm. A distância entre a amostra e o detector era de 404,5mm, fazendo com que a região sensível do detector cobrisse um ângulo de espalhamento de ±12 °. Foram obtidos um raio de giro de 22 Å para o carvão vítreo e um dos parâmetros da rede cristalina c de 39,1 Å para o SLS. Estes resultados estão de acordo com trabalhos anteriores obtidos com técnicas tradicionais de maior dispêndio de tempo que utilizam detectores de Nal(T1) e chapas fotográficas em uma câmara de Laue. / A multiware position sensitive gas counter for X-Ray detection was developed in our laboratory making use or commercial delay-lines for position sensing. Six delay-line chips (50ns delay each 40Mhz cut-off frequency) cover a total sensitive length of 190mm leading to a delay-risetime ratio that allows for a high-resolution position detection. Tests using the 5,9keV X-Ray line from a 55Fe source an integral linearity better than 0,1% and a maximum differential linearity or ±4,0% were obtained operating the detector with an Ar-CH 4 (90%-10%) gas mixture at 700torr. Similar tests were performed using the 8,04keV line from a Cu X-Ray tube. A total resolution or 330m, and the same integral and differential linearities were obtained. In order to check the detector performance under usual experimental conditions two different samples were analyzed in the low scattering-angle region. The samples analyzed were vitreous carbon and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SLS). The X-Rays were collimated by a set or slits each 50m wide separated by 98mm. The distance between the sample and the detector was 404,5mm, so that the detector covered a scattering angle of ±12°. A radius of gyration of 22Å for vitreous carbon and a crystallographic parameter of 39,1Å for SLS were obtained. These values are in good agreement with those obtained with the more time-consuming traditional techniques making use of a rotating NaI(T1) detector and photographic plates with a Laue camera.

Neste trabalho foi desenvolvido um Espectrômetro de Correlação Angular Gama- Gama Perturbada Diferencial em Tempo (CAP) constituído por seis detectores cintiladores de BaF2, para realização de medidas de interações hiperfinas (campo hiperfino magnético e gradiente de campo elétrico) em diversos materiais e propiciar estudos na área da física da matéria condensada. O espectrômetro desenvolvido possui um sistema de aquisição não convencional em comparação aos demais equipamentos destinados a medidas de CAP. Ao invés do tradicional Analisador Multicanal (MCA), este espectrômetro utiliza um sistema de aquisição de dados constituído, basicamente, por um Conversor Analógico Digital (ADC) rápido, uma placa digital (I/O) convencional e um roteador construído no laboratório de Interações Hiperfinas (LIH) do IPEN. Este versátil e eficiente sistema, controlado por um software também criado no LIH em LabVIEW, permite a geração simultânea de 30 espectros de coincidências γ - γ atrasadas, número superior em comparação aos 12 espectros do antigo espectrômetro de quatro detectores. Além de medidas de linearidade, resolução em tempo e tempo morto, o funcionamento e o desempenho do espectrômetro foram comprovados através de medidas de CAP utilizando os núcleos de prova 111In -> 111Cd e 181Hf -> 181Ta, cujos resultados são bem conhecidos da literatura. Foram feitas medidas de interação quadrupolar do 181Ta em háfnio metálico e do 111Cd em cádmio metálico, e de campo hiperfino magnético do 111Cd e do 181Ta em níquel. Os resultados destas medidas se mostraram em concordância com a literatura. Adicionalmente foram realizadas medidas inéditas de interações hiperfinas magnéticas no composto intermetálico LaMnSi2 utilizando os núcleos de prova 111Cd e 140Ce. As medidas foram realizadas na faixa de temperatura de 10 K a 400K. No caso das medidas utilizando a sonda 111In -> 111Cd, os resultados mostram uma variação do campo magnético com a temperatura que segue a função de Brillouin. Já no caso das medidas com o núcleo de prova 140La -> 140Ce, o resultado apresentou um comportamento anômalo do campo hiperfino em função de temperatura. Os resultados evidenciam uma forte hibridização da banda 4f do Ce com a banda 3d do Mn, fato verificado e estudado em trabalhos anteriores com compostos semelhantes. / In this work a Perturbed gama-gama Angular Correlation (PAC) spectrometer was constructed consisting of six BaF2 scintillator detectors to perform measurements of hyperfine interactions (magnetic hyperfine field and electric field gradient) in different materials to study condensed matter physics. The spectrometer developed has an unconventional acquisition system compared to other equipment for PAC measurements. Instead of a traditional multichannel analyzer (MCA), the spectrometer utilizes a data acquisition system consisting of basically a fast analog to digital converter (ADC), a conventional digital card (I/O) and a router constructed in the hyperfine interactions laboratory (LIH) of IPEN. This versatile and efficient system, controlled by software, also developed in the LIH using LabVIEW, allows simultaneous generation of 30 delayed γ - γ coincidence spectra compared to 12 spectra in the old 4 detector spectrometer in our laboratory. In addition to the tests of system linearity, time resolution and dead time, the operational performance of this spectrometer was demonstrated by PAC measurements using 111In -> 111Cd and 181Hf -> 181Ta nuclear probes, for which the results are well known from the literature. The quadrupole interaction of 181Ta in metallic hafnium, and 111Cd in metallic cadmium, and magnetic hyperfine field of 111Cd in nickel, were measured and the results are in agreement with the literature. Additionally the measurements were carried out, with the new spectrometer, to study the hyperfine field in the intermetallic compound LaMnSi2 using 111Cd and 140Ce nuclear probes. The measurements were carried out in the temperature range from 10 K to 400 K. While the temperature dependence of hyperfine field measured with 111In -> 111Cd probe, follows the Brillouin function the behaviour of the hyperfine field measured with 140La -> 140Ce is anomalous. This behavior has been explained in terms of a strong hybridization of 4f band of Ce with the 3d band of Mn, a fact verified in previous studies with similar compounds.

Neste trabalho foi desenvolvido um Espectrômetro de Correlação Angular Gama- Gama Perturbada Diferencial em Tempo (CAP) constituído por seis detectores cintiladores de BaF2, para realização de medidas de interações hiperfinas (campo hiperfino magnético e gradiente de campo elétrico) em diversos materiais e propiciar estudos na área da física da matéria condensada. O espectrômetro desenvolvido possui um sistema de aquisição não convencional em comparação aos demais equipamentos destinados a medidas de CAP. Ao invés do tradicional Analisador Multicanal (MCA), este espectrômetro utiliza um sistema de aquisição de dados constituído, basicamente, por um Conversor Analógico Digital (ADC) rápido, uma placa digital (I/O) convencional e um roteador construído no laboratório de Interações Hiperfinas (LIH) do IPEN. Este versátil e eficiente sistema, controlado por um software também criado no LIH em LabVIEW, permite a geração simultânea de 30 espectros de coincidências γ - γ atrasadas, número superior em comparação aos 12 espectros do antigo espectrômetro de quatro detectores. Além de medidas de linearidade, resolução em tempo e tempo morto, o funcionamento e o desempenho do espectrômetro foram comprovados através de medidas de CAP utilizando os núcleos de prova 111In -> 111Cd e 181Hf -> 181Ta, cujos resultados são bem conhecidos da literatura. Foram feitas medidas de interação quadrupolar do 181Ta em háfnio metálico e do 111Cd em cádmio metálico, e de campo hiperfino magnético do 111Cd e do 181Ta em níquel. Os resultados destas medidas se mostraram em concordância com a literatura. Adicionalmente foram realizadas medidas inéditas de interações hiperfinas magnéticas no composto intermetálico LaMnSi2 utilizando os núcleos de prova 111Cd e 140Ce. As medidas foram realizadas na faixa de temperatura de 10 K a 400K. No caso das medidas utilizando a sonda 111In -> 111Cd, os resultados mostram uma variação do campo magnético com a temperatura que segue a função de Brillouin. Já no caso das medidas com o núcleo de prova 140La -> 140Ce, o resultado apresentou um comportamento anômalo do campo hiperfino em função de temperatura. Os resultados evidenciam uma forte hibridização da banda 4f do Ce com a banda 3d do Mn, fato verificado e estudado em trabalhos anteriores com compostos semelhantes. / In this work a Perturbed gama-gama Angular Correlation (PAC) spectrometer was constructed consisting of six BaF2 scintillator detectors to perform measurements of hyperfine interactions (magnetic hyperfine field and electric field gradient) in different materials to study condensed matter physics. The spectrometer developed has an unconventional acquisition system compared to other equipment for PAC measurements. Instead of a traditional multichannel analyzer (MCA), the spectrometer utilizes a data acquisition system consisting of basically a fast analog to digital converter (ADC), a conventional digital card (I/O) and a router constructed in the hyperfine interactions laboratory (LIH) of IPEN. This versatile and efficient system, controlled by software, also developed in the LIH using LabVIEW, allows simultaneous generation of 30 delayed γ - γ coincidence spectra compared to 12 spectra in the old 4 detector spectrometer in our laboratory. In addition to the tests of system linearity, time resolution and dead time, the operational performance of this spectrometer was demonstrated by PAC measurements using 111In -> 111Cd and 181Hf -> 181Ta nuclear probes, for which the results are well known from the literature. The quadrupole interaction of 181Ta in metallic hafnium, and 111Cd in metallic cadmium, and magnetic hyperfine field of 111Cd in nickel, were measured and the results are in agreement with the literature. Additionally the measurements were carried out, with the new spectrometer, to study the hyperfine field in the intermetallic compound LaMnSi2 using 111Cd and 140Ce nuclear probes. The measurements were carried out in the temperature range from 10 K to 400 K. While the temperature dependence of hyperfine field measured with 111In -> 111Cd probe, follows the Brillouin function the behaviour of the hyperfine field measured with 140La -> 140Ce is anomalous. This behavior has been explained in terms of a strong hybridization of 4f band of Ce with the 3d band of Mn, a fact verified in previous studies with similar compounds.

Le sujet de la thèse vise à développer un imageur neutron portable présentant des performances de détection compatibles avec les besoins de la recherche et de l’industrie nucléaire, notamment ceux du démantèlement. Cette thèse se décompose en trois axes principaux de recherche, précédés d’une phase de recherche bibliographique. Suite à cette dernière, l’approche de localisation retenue est l‘imagerie de neutrons rapides par encodage spatial. Les détecteurs de neutrons ont été étudiés et plusieurs choix, adaptés à cette problématique, ont été retenus pour la suite de l’étude. Le premier axe est consacré aux études sur le développement d’un détecteur de neutrons sensible à la position. Le deuxième axe est lié à la conception et au prototypage d’un imageur neutronique, se reposant sur un masque codé et un détecteur Timepix modifié par une couche de paraffine. Le dernier axe concerne le déploiement et la caractérisation expérimentale de ce prototype. / The subject of the thesis aims at developing a portable neutron imager with detection performance compatible with the needs of the nuclear research and industry, in particular those of decommissioning. This thesis is divided into three main areas of research, preceded by a bibliographic research phase. Following the latter, the localization approach adopted is spatial encoding fast neutron imaging. Neutron detectors were studied and several choices adapted to this challenge were selected for the continuation of the study. The first axis is dedicated to the studies on the development of a position-sensitive neutron detector. The second axis is related to the design and prototyping of a portable neutron imager, based on a coded aperture and a Timepix detector enhanced with a paraffin layer. The last axis concerns the deployment and experimental characterization of this prototype.

Efeitos causados pela interação da radiação ionizante em dispositivos eletrônicos consis- tem numa preocupação crescente em diversos segmentos, como as aplicações aeroespaci- ais e em física de altas energias. Entre os efeitos de radiação induzidos por íons pesados estão os chamados de Efeitos de Eventos Isolados (Single Event Effects - SEE), em que o impacto de um único íon pode ser capaz de gerar um efeito observável, através da elevada deposição de energia e consequente geração de pares elétron-lacuna. O estudo destes efeitos requer um acelerador de partículas capaz de prover feixes uniformes de íons pesados com baixo fluxo. Neste trabalho, desenvolvemos um sistema para produ- ção de feixes de íons pesados para estudar SEE no Acelerador Pelletron 8UD, utilizando as técnicas de desfocalização e espalhamento múltiplo em folhas de ouro. O sistema foi projetado para prover feixes com intensidades entre 10 2 e 10 5 partículas/s/cm 2 com uniformidade maior que 90% numa área circular de diâmetro de 1,5 cm, operando em regime de alto-vácuo. Um manipulador de amostras permite a movimentação do dispo- sitivo sob teste com precisão de 2,5 m e um sistema de aquisição de dados dedicado foi desenvolvido, permitindo a automação de medidas. O sistema foi caracterizado com feixes de 1 H, 12 C, 16 O, 19 F, 28 Si, 35 Cl e 63 Cu a várias energias, apresentando fluxo e uni- formidade adequados aos experimentos em diversas configurações de focalização e folhas espalhadoras, e tem sido utilizado por diversos grupos de pesquisa. O novo sistema foi utilizado para estudar o efeito das camadas de isolamento e metalização na coleta de carga e geração de eventos observáveis em um dispositivo analógico e em um disposi- tivo digital, de modo a estabelecer metodologias de trabalho adequadas para estudos precisos de mecanismos de ocorrência de efeitos de radiação. O dispositivo analógico estudado foi um transistor p-MOS, onde o sinal de corrente induzido pelo impacto de íons diversos foi analisado de modo a obter a seção de choque de eventos e a cargaix gerada, permitindo determinar a espessura da camada de metalização em 1,28(2) m, e a camada de coleta de carga dependente do LET e alcance da partícula incidente, variando entre 6,0 e 11,0 m. O dispositivo digital estudado foi uma memória SRAM 28nm, onde foi observada uma forte dependência da seção de choque de eventos com a penetração do feixe no dispositivo. Associando as camadas de metalização e isolamento a um meio efetivo de interação, obteve-se que toda a área sensível do dispositivo só pode ser excitada, isto é, nela ocorrerem eventos observáveis, para partículas com alcance, no meio efetivo, entre 14 e 20 m, embora partículas com alcance de até 10 m sejam capazes de sensibilizar até 50% da área ativa do dispositivo. / Effects on electronic devices caused by interactions of ionizing radiation are a main concern in several fields, such as aerospace applications and high-energy physics. Among the heavy-ion induced radiation effects are the Single Event Effects, in which a strike of a single ion can be enough to generate an observable effect, as a result of the high energy deposition and thus electron-hole pairs generation. The study of these effects requires the use of uniform, low-flux particle beams. In this work, we developed a system for production of heavy ion beams for SEE studies at Pelletron 8UD accelerator, through the defocusing and multiple scattering in gold foil techniques. The setup can provide ion beams with intensities ranging from 10 2 e 10 5 particles/s/cm 2 with uniformity better than 90% in an circular area of 1.5 cm diameter, operating under high-vacuum. A sample manipulador allows device under test positioning with a precision of 2.5 m, and a dedicated data acquisition system was developed, allowing measurement automation. The system was characterized with 1 H, 12 C, 16 O, 19 F, 28 Si, 35 Cl and 63 Cu ion beams at several energies, presenting flux and uniformity adequate for SEE studies in many different configurations, and it is being used by several research groups. The new facility was used to study the effect of isolation and metalization layers in charge collection and observable events generation in an analog and in a digital device, in order to establish proper metodologies for precise studies of radiation effects mecanisms. The analog device studied was a p-MOS transitor, from which the heavy-ion impact induced current signal was analised to obtain cross-section and colected charge, allowing to determine metalization layer thickness to be 1.28(2) m, and charge collection dependency on particle LET and range, varying from 6.0 to 11.0 m. The digital device studied was a 28nm SRAM memory, where a strong dependency of cross-section with particle range in the device was observed. Associating to the metal and insulating layers an effectivexi medium, it was observed that the complete sensitive area can be excited only by particle with ranges in effective medium between 14 and 20 m, although particles with ranges up to 10 m are capable of sensibilizing up to 50% of devices active area.

Um contador a gás, com multifios, sensível à posição, para a detecção de raios X foi construído utilizando linhas de atraso integradas para leitura da posição. Seis linhas de atraso (50ns de atraso cada, frequência de corte de 40MHz) cobrem um comprimento sensível total de 150mm, possuindo uma razão do atraso total pelo tempo de subida dos sinais na linha adequadas para a detecção em posição raios X de 5,9keV do ANTIPOT. 55 Fe com alta resolução. Testes usando a forneceram uma não-linearidade linha de integral máxima menor que 0,1% e não-linearidade diferencial máxima de ±4,0%, com o detector utilizando a mistura 700torr. Testes similares foram feitos usando de Ar-CH IND 4 (90%-10%) a a linha de 8,04keV de um tubo de raios X de Cu. Uma resolução total de 330m, e as mesmas não-linearidades integral e diferencial foram obtidas. Com a finalidade de t.est.ar o comportamento do detector sob condições experimentais reais, duas diferentes amostras foram analisadas na região de espalhamento em baixo ângulo. As amostras analisadas foram o carvão vítreo e o dodecil sulfato de sódio (SLS). O feixe de raios X foi colimado por um conjunto de fendas, com 50,um cada uma delas e separadas de 98mm. A distância entre a amostra e o detector era de 404,5mm, fazendo com que a região sensível do detector cobrisse um ângulo de espalhamento de ±12 °. Foram obtidos um raio de giro de 22 Å para o carvão vítreo e um dos parâmetros da rede cristalina c de 39,1 Å para o SLS. Estes resultados estão de acordo com trabalhos anteriores obtidos com técnicas tradicionais de maior dispêndio de tempo que utilizam detectores de Nal(T1) e chapas fotográficas em uma câmara de Laue. / A multiware position sensitive gas counter for X-Ray detection was developed in our laboratory making use or commercial delay-lines for position sensing. Six delay-line chips (50ns delay each 40Mhz cut-off frequency) cover a total sensitive length of 190mm leading to a delay-risetime ratio that allows for a high-resolution position detection. Tests using the 5,9keV X-Ray line from a 55Fe source an integral linearity better than 0,1% and a maximum differential linearity or ±4,0% were obtained operating the detector with an Ar-CH 4 (90%-10%) gas mixture at 700torr. Similar tests were performed using the 8,04keV line from a Cu X-Ray tube. A total resolution or 330m, and the same integral and differential linearities were obtained. In order to check the detector performance under usual experimental conditions two different samples were analyzed in the low scattering-angle region. The samples analyzed were vitreous carbon and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SLS). The X-Rays were collimated by a set or slits each 50m wide separated by 98mm. The distance between the sample and the detector was 404,5mm, so that the detector covered a scattering angle of ±12°. A radius of gyration of 22Å for vitreous carbon and a crystallographic parameter of 39,1Å for SLS were obtained. These values are in good agreement with those obtained with the more time-consuming traditional techniques making use of a rotating NaI(T1) detector and photographic plates with a Laue camera.

In factories handling fissile materials, criticality accidents can occur. The CAAS-3S system produced by Mirion Technologies includes a range of equipment to detect these accidents and alert employees to evacuate the facility and protect their health. The system consists of four types of plastic scintillation detectors. To determine the potential locations of the detectors and to ensure that the system detects all criticality accidents, Mirion Technologies is conducting positioning studies. These studies simulate criticality accidents using the Monte Carlo based code MCNP. Mirion Technologies would like to develop an MCNP model of these probes to build a response function to predict the experimental stress of the probes. Furthermore, during a criticality accident, the ambient temperature may increase significantly and the system must be able to detect an accident during a temperature rise without generating a false alarm. The CAAS-3S system includes a temperature correction. This master thesis has demonstrated that the temperature correction was able to trigger the alarm without generating false alarms for temperatures up to 70°C. MCNP models of the four probes of the system have been designed. It appeared that the energy rate deposited in the gamma scintillator calculated numerically by MCNP allowed to predict the experimental voltage during irradiation under photon radiation. In the case of neutron irradiation it has been proven that the reaction rate (n,alpha) on lithium contained in the scintillation matrix allows to predict the experimental voltage without having to simulate the alpha particles, thus reducing the calculation time. Correlation coefficients based on experimental results and numerical simulations have been determined for several incident particle energies in order to create a probe response function. / I fabriker som hanterar klyvbart material kan kriticitetsolyckor inträffa. CAAS-3S-systemet som tillverkas av Mirion Technologies innehåller en rad olika utrustningar för att upptäcka dessa olyckor och varna de anställda så att de kan evakuera anläggningen och skydda sin hälsa. Systemet består av fyra typer av plastsintillationsdetektorer. För att fastställa de potentiella platserna för detektorerna och för att se till att systemet upptäcker alla kriticitetsolyckor genomför Mirion Technologies positioneringsstudier. I dessa studier simuleras kritiska olyckor med hjälp av den Monte Carlo-baserade koden MCNP. Mirion Technologies skulle vilja utveckla en MCNP-modell av dessa sonder för att bygga upp en responsfunktion för att förutsäga den experimentella belastningen på sonderna. Under en kritisk olycka kan dessutom omgivningstemperaturen öka avsevärt och systemet måste kunna upptäcka en olycka under en temperaturökning utan att generera ett falsklarm. CAAS-3S-systemet innehåller en temperaturkorrigering. I detta examensarbete har det visats att temperaturkorrigeringen kunde utlösa larmet utan att generera falska larm för temperaturer upp till 70 °C. MCNP-modeller av systemets fyra prober har utformats. Det visade sig att den energihastighet som deponeras i gammascintillatorn, som beräknats numeriskt med MCNP, gjorde det möjligt att förutsäga den experimentella spänningen under bestrålning med fotonstrålning. Vid neutronbestrålning gör reaktionshastigheten (n,alfa) på litium i scintillationsmatrisen det möjligt att förutsäga den experimentella spänningen utan att simulera alfapartiklarna, vilket minskar beräkningstiden. Korrelationskoefficienter baserade på experimentella resultat och numeriska simuleringar har bestämts för flera energier av infallande partiklar för att skapa en sonderesponsfunktion.

Le futur Réacteur d'irradiation Jules Horowitz (RJH) constituera à partir de 2016 sur le site du CEA Cadarache (France) un outil unique dédié aux besoins de l'industrie et de la recherche dans le domaine de l'énergie nucléaire. La qualité des programmes de recherche qui seront conduits dans le RJH dépendra pour une grande part de la bonne connaissance et de la maîtrise des conditions expérimentales dans les canaux d'essais. Dans ce contexte, le CEA et Aix-Marseille Université conduisent conjointement un projet scientifique et technique baptisé IN-CORE. Ce projet a pour but d'améliorer la connaissance des flux neutroniques et photoniques du cœur du réacteur RJH. Un des enjeux est donc d'identifier les détecteurs capables de mesurer de tels flux et de déterminer les méthodes d'interprétation des signaux les plus appropriées. Les travaux de thèse s'inscrivent dans ce programme ambitieux et ont pour objectif d'étudier les potentialités et l'intérêt de la combinaison des mesures des rayonnements dans la perspective d'une meilleure évaluation des niveaux de flux neutroniques, rayonnement gamma et d'échauffement nucléaire dans les emplacements expérimentaux du RJH. Une première étape du projet a consisté à réaliser et exploiter un dispositif de mesure appelé CARMEN-1, adapté à la cartographie des conditions d'irradiation du réacteur OSIRIS (France). Cette expérience a été l'occasion de tester l'ensemble des détecteurs des flux de rayonnement susceptibles de répondre aux besoins du RJH, notamment ceux récemment développés. / A new Material Testing Reactor (MTR), the Jules Horowitz Reactor (JHR), is under construction at the CEA Cadarache (French Alternatives Energies and Atomic Energy Commission). From 2016 this new MTR will be a new facility for the nuclear research on materials and fuels. The quality of the experiments to be conducted in this reactor is largely linked to the good knowledge of the irradiation conditions. Since 2009, a new research program called IN-CORE “Instrumentation for Nuclear radiations and Calorimetry Online in Reactor” is under progress between CEA and Aix-Marseille University. This program aims to improve knowledge of the neutron and photon fluxes in the RJH core. One of the challenges is to identify sensors able to measure such fluxes in JHR experimental conditions and to determine how to analyse the signals delivered by these sensors with the most appropriate methods. The thesis is part of this ambitious program and aims to study the potential and the interest of the combination of radiation measurements in the prospect of a better assessment of the levels of neutron flux, gamma radiation and nuclear heating in the JHR experimental locations. The first step of IN-CORE program was to develop and operate an instrumented device called CARMEN-1 adapted to the mapping of the OSIRIS reactor (France). This experiment was the opportunity to test all the radiation sensors which could meet the needs of JHR, including recently developed sensors.

Ce travail de thèse porte sur l’étude et la réalisation d'une nouvelle génération de capteurs ultrasonore dédiés à la caractérisation des gaz de fission. Plus généralement, ces études concernent le développement de l’instrumentation du réacteur d’essai des matériaux Jules Horowitz (RJH), visant entre autre à effectuer le contrôle in situ de la composition du gaz libéré afin d’optimiser la durée de vie du combustible et le taux de combustion. La température de fonctionnement de ce nouveau réacteur devant se situer dans la plage entre 200 °C à 400 °C, la principale problématique concerne donc le développement d’un matériau piézoélectrique, capable de fonctionner dans la plage de température requise, et son intégration à un dispositif de détection.Nous proposons l’utilisation du sodium titanate de bismuth (NBT) développé par la méthode de la sérigraphie. Dans le but d'optimiser les conditions de fabrication des matériaux, plusieurs versions de matériaux piézoélectriques ont été produites au cours de cette thèse. Chacun des matériaux a été caractérisé (paramètres morphologiques, chimiques, électriques, diélectriques, piézoélectriques et électromécaniques) et des tests en fonction de la température ont été conduits. Après avoir démontré une bonne répétabilité dans la production du matériau, le protocole de fabrication des capteurs a été déterminé et un prototype de capteur ultrasonore a été réalisé.Ces capteurs ont été fabriqués par dépôt du matériau actif sur un substrat d'alumine. Après caractérisation des propriétés des capteurs, des essais ont montré une sensibilité acoustique importante à température ambiante. De plus, la possibilité d'une détection de gaz sur une gamme de pression de 50 à 70 bars a été démontrée par l'intégration d’un capteur dans une enceinte. Pour vérifier la possibilité d'application du capteur à la détection de gaz dans des environnements hostiles (haute température), un modèle théorique basé sur les propriétés électromécaniques et les équations d’adaptation d’impédance a été introduit. Il a été démontré théoriquement que le capteur est capable d'effectuer des mesures de gaz de la température ambiante jusqu’à 350 °C. / This Ph.D. thesis is dedicated to the development of a new generation of ultrasonic sensors devoted to fission gas characterization. More generally, these studies concern the development of instrumentation for the Jules Horowitz material testing reactor (JHR) aiming to perform in-situ control of the released gas composition for optimization of burn-up rate and fuel rod lifetime. The operation temperature of this new reactor will be in the range of 200 °C - 400 °C. Hence, the main problem concerns the development of piezoelectric material, able to operate in the required temperature range, and its integration with a sensor device.To resolve this problem, we propose to use the sodium bismuth titanate (NBT) ceramic material developed by the screen-printing technique. Several versions of piezoelectric materials were produced during this research, with the purpose of optimizing material manufacturing conditions Each material was characterized (morphological, chemical, electric, dielectric, piezoelectric and electromechanical parameters) and “tests as a function of temperature” were carried out. After demonstrating repeatability in material fabrication, the protocol for NBT sensor production was determined and a prototype of the ultrasonic sensor was fabricated.The sensor was fabricated by deposition of an active material onto an alumina substrate. After characterization of sensor properties, acoustic tests showed a high sensitivity of measurements at ambient temperature (25 °C). Furthermore, by integration of sensors into a pressurized enclosure the possibility of gas detection in the range from 50 to 70 bars was demonstrated. To verify the sensor’s applicability to gas detection under harsh temperature environment, a theoretical model based on electromechanical properties and impedance matching equations was introduced. It was theoretically demonstrated that the sensor is able to perform gas measurements from ambient temperature up to 350 °C.

Dans l'instrumentation nucléaire, les architectures de traitement numérique du signal doivent faire face à la nature poissonienne du signal, composée d'impulsions d'arrivées aléatoires qui imposent aux architectures actuelles de travailler en flux de données. En effet, si le débit d'impulsion est trop élevé, les besoins en temps réel impliquent de paralyser l'acquisition du signal durant le traitement d'une impulsion. Durant ce délai, appelé temps mort, des impulsions peuvent être perdues. Cette contrainte conduit les architectures actuelles à utiliser des solutions dédiées à base de FPGA. Les utilisateurs finaux doivent cependant pouvoir mettre en oeuvre un large éventail d'applications sur un nombre de canaux d'acquisition qui varie. Ce besoin en flexibilité conduit à proposer une architecture programmable (C, C ++). Cette thèse présente une architecture numérique « dirigée par les impulsions » qui répond à ces contraintes. En premier lieu, cette architecture se compose d'extracteurs d'impulsions capables d'extraire de façon dynamique les impulsions en fonction de leur taille pour n'importe quel type de détecteur délivrant des impulsions. Ces impulsions sont ensuite distribuées sur des unités fonctionnelles programmables (FU) indépendante. Ces FUs gèrent l'arrivée d'événements aléatoires et des durées d'exécution de programme non-déterministes. Le simulateur de l'architecture est développé en SystemC au cycle d'horloge près. Il montre des résultats prometteurs en termes de passage à l'échelle, tout en maintenant le zéro-temps mort. Cette architecture permet d'embarquer de nouveaux algorithmes de traitement des impulsions traditionnellement utilisés hors ligne. / In the field of nuclear instrumentation, digital signal processing architectures have to deal with the poissonian characteristic of the signal, composed of random arrival pulses which requires current architectures to work in dataflow. Thus, the real-time needs implies losing pulses when the pulse rate is too high. Current architectures paralyze the acquisition of the signal during the pulse processing inducing a time during no signal can be processed, this is called the dead time. These issue have led current architectures to use dedicated solutions based on reconfigurable components such as FPGAs. The requirement of end users to implement a wide range of applications on a large number of channels leads to propose an easily programmable architecture platform (C, C++). This thesis present presents a digital “pulse-driven” architecture that meets these constraints. This architecture is first composed of pulse extractors. They are capable of dynamically extracting the pulses according to their size for any type of detector that delivering pulses. These pulses are then distributed on a set of programmable and independent Functional Units (FU) which are "pulses driven". These FUs are able to handle the arrival of non-deterministic events and variable program execution times and indeterminate in advance. The virtual prototype of the architecture is developed in cycle accurate SystemC and shows promising results in terms of scalability while maintaining zero dead time. This architecture paves the way for novel real time pulse processing by reducing the gap between embedded real time processing and offline processing.