Evidence that recoilless emission and absorption exist may be shown by an experiment in which the source gamma rays are allowed to pass through a suitable absorber to a detector.

Apresentam-se os resultados dos primeiros experimentos com o novo acelerador de elétrons do Laboratório do Acelerador Linear (LAL) do Instituto de Física da USP, cuja primeira fase de montagem encontra-se concluída. Adicionou-se uma linha de irradiação ao projeto original do Microtron, que permite usar o feixe de elétrons com 1,9 MeV de energia do injetor. Espectros de bremsstrahlung de elétrons em alvos finos de Ag e Au, observados a 30o e 60o em relação ao feixe, foram medidos com um detector coaxial de HPGe, cujas dimensões, inclusive do orifício interno e da camada morta do cristal, foram determinadas por medidas experimentais e simulações de Monte Carlo com o código MCNPX, a fim de estimar a resposta do detector para a deconvolução dos espectros. As secções de choque de produção de bremsstrahlung foram medidas tanto para todo o espectro observado (100 1910 keV) quanto para a região próxima ao tip (1700 1910 keV). Os resultados na região do tip concordam com as previsões dos códigos MCNPX e PENELOPE. As causas das discrepâncias observadas para energias menores que 1800 keV são discutidas. Apresenta-se também o projeto de um sistema de medidas de Ressonância Fluorescente Nuclear (NRF) para o estudo de excitações dipolares dos núcleos com fótons de bremsstrahlung, que se pretende usar assim que a energia dos elétrons do Microtron alcance 10 MeV. O projeto desse sistema leva em conta as particularidades da instalação do acelerador e da sala de irradiação e busca minimizar a radiação devida aos fótons espalhados nas paredes e aos nêutrons produzidos em reações fotonucleares. O comportamento dos elementos que conformam o sistema de NRF: radiador, colimador, blindagem dos detectores e coletor do feixe de fótons foram estudados por simulação em função das suas características dimensões, formas, materiais com o código MCNPX. Com o projeto final do arranjo experimental, avaliaram-se as intensidades de NRF que serão observadas pelos detectores de fótons com um alvo de 27Al, típico nesse tipo de medições, que indica a viabilidade desse tipo de experimento com o Microtron. / The results of the first experiments carried out in the new electron accelerator of the Linear Accelerator Laboratory (LAL) of the Physics Institute of Universidade de São Paulo are reported here. A 1.9 MeV beam line, which allows the use of the injector beam for experimental physics, was added to the original accelerator design. Electron bremsstrahlung spectra for Ag and Au thin targets observed at 30o and 60o with respect to the beam direction were collected in a HPGe coaxial detector, whose dimensions, including crystal inner hole dimensions and dead layer thickness, were estimated by means of combined experimental measurements and Monte Carlo simulations with the MCNP code, to evaluate the detector response function to perform the deconvolution of the spectrum. Cross sections for bremsstrahlung yield were determined for the entire measured energy range (100 1910 keV) and for the tip region (1700 1970 keV). The results in the tip region are in agreement with MCNPX and PENELOPE predictions. The possible causes for the disagreement at energies lower than 1800 keV are discussed. The design of a Nuclear Resonance Fluorescence (NRF) setup, aiming the study of dipolar excitations in nuclei with bremsstrahlung photons when the Microtron electron energy reaches 10 MeV, is also shown. The setup was designed with the characteristics of the Microtron building and facilities in mind, and searches to minimize the radiation caused by scattered photons and neutrons from photonuclear reactions. The behavior of the NRF setup elements: converter, collimator, detector shielding and photon beam dump, were studied by simulation as functions of their characteristics dimensions, shapes, materials using the MCNPX code. The spectral intensity to be observed by the photon detector in the designed NRF setup with a 27Al reference target, typical for NRF measurements, was assessed by simulation and shows the feasibility of this sort of experiment with the Microtron.

Apresentam-se os resultados dos primeiros experimentos com o novo acelerador de elétrons do Laboratório do Acelerador Linear (LAL) do Instituto de Física da USP, cuja primeira fase de montagem encontra-se concluída. Adicionou-se uma linha de irradiação ao projeto original do Microtron, que permite usar o feixe de elétrons com 1,9 MeV de energia do injetor. Espectros de bremsstrahlung de elétrons em alvos finos de Ag e Au, observados a 30o e 60o em relação ao feixe, foram medidos com um detector coaxial de HPGe, cujas dimensões, inclusive do orifício interno e da camada morta do cristal, foram determinadas por medidas experimentais e simulações de Monte Carlo com o código MCNPX, a fim de estimar a resposta do detector para a deconvolução dos espectros. As secções de choque de produção de bremsstrahlung foram medidas tanto para todo o espectro observado (100 1910 keV) quanto para a região próxima ao tip (1700 1910 keV). Os resultados na região do tip concordam com as previsões dos códigos MCNPX e PENELOPE. As causas das discrepâncias observadas para energias menores que 1800 keV são discutidas. Apresenta-se também o projeto de um sistema de medidas de Ressonância Fluorescente Nuclear (NRF) para o estudo de excitações dipolares dos núcleos com fótons de bremsstrahlung, que se pretende usar assim que a energia dos elétrons do Microtron alcance 10 MeV. O projeto desse sistema leva em conta as particularidades da instalação do acelerador e da sala de irradiação e busca minimizar a radiação devida aos fótons espalhados nas paredes e aos nêutrons produzidos em reações fotonucleares. O comportamento dos elementos que conformam o sistema de NRF: radiador, colimador, blindagem dos detectores e coletor do feixe de fótons foram estudados por simulação em função das suas características dimensões, formas, materiais com o código MCNPX. Com o projeto final do arranjo experimental, avaliaram-se as intensidades de NRF que serão observadas pelos detectores de fótons com um alvo de 27Al, típico nesse tipo de medições, que indica a viabilidade desse tipo de experimento com o Microtron. / The results of the first experiments carried out in the new electron accelerator of the Linear Accelerator Laboratory (LAL) of the Physics Institute of Universidade de São Paulo are reported here. A 1.9 MeV beam line, which allows the use of the injector beam for experimental physics, was added to the original accelerator design. Electron bremsstrahlung spectra for Ag and Au thin targets observed at 30o and 60o with respect to the beam direction were collected in a HPGe coaxial detector, whose dimensions, including crystal inner hole dimensions and dead layer thickness, were estimated by means of combined experimental measurements and Monte Carlo simulations with the MCNP code, to evaluate the detector response function to perform the deconvolution of the spectrum. Cross sections for bremsstrahlung yield were determined for the entire measured energy range (100 1910 keV) and for the tip region (1700 1970 keV). The results in the tip region are in agreement with MCNPX and PENELOPE predictions. The possible causes for the disagreement at energies lower than 1800 keV are discussed. The design of a Nuclear Resonance Fluorescence (NRF) setup, aiming the study of dipolar excitations in nuclei with bremsstrahlung photons when the Microtron electron energy reaches 10 MeV, is also shown. The setup was designed with the characteristics of the Microtron building and facilities in mind, and searches to minimize the radiation caused by scattered photons and neutrons from photonuclear reactions. The behavior of the NRF setup elements: converter, collimator, detector shielding and photon beam dump, were studied by simulation as functions of their characteristics dimensions, shapes, materials using the MCNPX code. The spectral intensity to be observed by the photon detector in the designed NRF setup with a 27Al reference target, typical for NRF measurements, was assessed by simulation and shows the feasibility of this sort of experiment with the Microtron.

Current x-ray technologies provide security personnel with non-invasive sub-surface imaging and contraband detection in various portal screening applications such as checked and carry-on baggage as well as cargo. Computed tomography (CT) scanners generate detailed 3D imagery in checked bags; however, these scanners often require significant power, cost, and space. These tomography machines are impractical for many applications where space and power are often limited such as checkpoint areas. Reducing the amount of data acquired would help reduce the physical demands of these systems. Unfortunately this leads to the formation of artifacts in various applications, thus presenting significant challenges in reconstruction and classification. As a result, the goal is to maintain a certain level of image quality but reduce the amount of data gathered. For the security domain this would allow for faster and cheaper screening in existing systems or allow for previously infeasible screening options due to other operational constraints. While our focus is predominantly on security applications, many of the techniques can be extended to other fields such as the medical domain where a reduction of dose can allow for safer and more frequent examinations. This dissertation aims to advance data reduction algorithms for security motivated x-ray imaging in three main areas: (i) development of a sensing aware dimensionality reduction framework, (ii) creation of linear motion tomographic method of object scanning and associated reconstruction algorithms for carry-on baggage screening, and (iii) the application of coded aperture techniques to improve and extend imaging performance of nuclear resonance fluorescence in cargo screening. The sensing aware dimensionality reduction framework extends existing dimensionality reduction methods to include knowledge of an underlying sensing mechanism of a latent variable. This method provides an improved classification rate over classical methods on both a synthetic case and a popular face classification dataset. The linear tomographic method is based on non-rotational scanning of baggage moved by a conveyor belt, and can thus be simpler, smaller, and more reliable than existing rotational tomography systems at the expense of more challenging image formation problems that require special model-based methods. The reconstructions for this approach are comparable to existing tomographic systems. Finally our coded aperture extension of existing nuclear resonance fluorescence cargo scanning provides improved observation signal-to-noise ratios. We analyze, discuss, and demonstrate the strengths and challenges of using coded aperture techniques in this application and provide guidance on regimes where these methods can yield gains over conventional methods.

京都大学 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(エネルギー科学) / 甲第24254号 / エネ博第452号 / 新制||エネ||85(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院エネルギー科学研究科エネルギー応用科学専攻 / (主査)教授 大垣 英明, 教授 白井 康之, 教授 宮内 雄平 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Energy Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(エネルギー科学) / 甲第17918号 / エネ博第290号 / 新制||エネ||60(附属図書館) / 30738 / 京都大学大学院エネルギー科学研究科エネルギー応用科学専攻 / (主査)教授 大垣 英明, 教授 白井 康之, 教授 松田 一成 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Energy Science / Kyoto University / DGAM