A new set of thermal neutron detectors has been developed as a near term 3He tube replacement. The zinc oxide scintillator is an ultrafast scintillator which can be doped to have performance equal to or superior to 3He tubes. Originally investigated in the early 1950s, this room temperature semiconductor has been evaluated as a thermal neutron scintillator. Zinc oxide can be doped with different nuclei to tune the band gap, improve optical clarity, and improve the thermal neutron detection efficiency. The effects of various dopant effects on the scintillation properties, materials properties, and crystal growth parameters have been analyzed. Two different growth modalities were investigated: bulk melt grown materials as well as thin film scintillators grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). MOCVD has shown significant advantages including precise thickness control, high dopant incorporation, and epitaxial coatings of neutron target nuclei. Detector designs were modeled and simulated to design an improved thermal neutron detector using doped ZnO layers, conformal coatings and light collection improvements including Bragg reflectors and photonic crystal structures. The detectors have been tested for crystalline quality by XRD and FTIR spectroscopy, for scintillation efficiency by photo-luminescence spectroscopy, and for neutron detection efficiency by alpha and neutron radiation tests. Lastly, a novel method for improving light collection efficiency has been investigated, the creation of a photonic crystal scintillator. Here, the flow of optical light photons is controlled through an engineered structure created with the scintillator materials. This work has resulted in a novel radiation detection material for the near term replacement of 3He tubes with performance characteristics equal to or superior to that of 3He.

Une solution au problème astrophysique de la matière sombre pourrait être apportée par la détection de WIMPs, particules prédites par la supersymétrie. Sa détection directe nécessite de grandes masses de détecteurs capables d'identifier le signal d'un WIMP parmi le fond radioactif et cosmique environnant. Cette thèse se déroule dans le cadre de l'expérience EDELWEISS et la future expérience EURECA qui lui succédera. Ces expériences utilisent une technologie basée sur des détecteurs cryogéniques (bolomètres) à double voies, fonctionnant à quelques dizaines de mK. Ils sont constitués de cristaux qui sont le siège des interactions des particules, dont les dépôts d'énergie vont entraîner une élévation de température ainsi que l'ionisation du cristal, pouvant entraîner des charges ou des photons selon sa nature. Afin d'augmenter la palette de cibles pouvant faire office de bolomètres scintillants, nous avons mis en place un dispositif expérimental permettant d'étudier la scintillation de cristaux refroidis jusqu'à 3 K. Il est basé sur un cryostat à géométrie optique compacte permettant une collecte de lumière améliorée. Une méthode de comptage de photons individuels ainsi qu'un traitement statistique des données permettent de mesurer l'évolution du rendement lumineux et des constantes de temps de scintillation de cristaux entre la température ambiante et 3K. Cette thèse présente ainsi les résultats obtenus à 3 K avec ce dispositif expérimental sur deux cristaux, bien connus à température ambiante: le BGO (Bi4Ge3O12) et le BaF2. Nous présentons également les résultats sur la luminescence du saphir dopé au titane (Ti:Al2O3), sous VUV et refroidi à 8 K.

Dans l'analyse des émetteurs alpha et beta dans l'eau par scintillation liquide, la problématique de la discrimination des rayonnements se pose afin d'atteindre les limites de détection souhaitées. Dans le cas rare ou les énergies permettent une discrimination, nous avons mis en place un protocole d'analyse simultanée tritium/alpha sur des frottis. A l'aide d'une méthode a trois fenêtres il permet d'atteindre les limites de détection de 0,4 Bq/cm2 en tritium et de 0,04 Bq/cm2 en alpha.De façon générale, aucune distinction entre les spectres n'est possible et un ajustement du fond sous le pic alpha ne permet pas d'atteindre les limites de détection définies par les normes. Cependant le processus physique de scintillation permet une distinction des rayonnements, phénomène utilise par certains appareils, ceux-ci proposent donc le réglage par l'utilisateur d'un paramètre discriminant seuil. Nous avons développé un protocole de réglage permettant de reconstituer les spectres alpha et beta discrimines au mieux, rendant accessible une limite de détection de 0,03 Bq/L en alpha.Nous avons par ailleurs développé une approche innovante utilisant un détecteur en coïncidence dont les photomultiplicateurs sont connectes directement a une carte numérique d'acquisition. Chaque impulsion numérisée est ensuite traitée selon plusieurs critères simultanément, à la place des deux habituels. Aucun ne permet a lui seul d'obtenir une discrimination selon un seuil unique, mais la distribution des évènements dans chaque spectre est différente : un fenêtrage des évènements alpha permet d'atteindre une limite de détection de 0,2 Bq/L, quatre fois moindre que par une discrimination en énergie seule.

No description available.

A tomografia por emissão de pósitrons (\"Positron Emission Tomography\" - PET) é uma técnica para obtenção de imagens tomográficas em Medicina Nuclear que permite o estudo da função e do metabolismo do corpo humano em diversos problemas clínicos, através do uso de fármacos marcados por radionuclídeos emissores de pósitrons. As aplicações mais frequentes ocorrem em oncologia, neurologia e cardiologia, através da análise qualitativa e quantitativa dessas imagens. Atualmente, a PET é realizada de duas maneiras: através de sistemas constituídos por anéis formados por alguns milhares de detectores operando em coincidência, chamados de sistemas dedicados; ou com o uso de câmaras PET /SPECT, formadas por dois detectores de cintilação em coincidência, que também servem para estudos com radionuclídeos emissores de fóton único (\"Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography\" - SPECT). O desenvolvimento desses sistemas PET /SPECT tornou viáveis os estudos com a fluor-deoxiglicose, [18 ANTPOT. F]-FDG, um fármaco marcado com 18 ANTIPOT. F (emissor de pósitrons com 109 minutos de meia-vida física), para um número grande de clínicas e hospitais, principalmente por estes serem de uma tecnologia economicamente mais acessível que os realizados com a PET dedicada. Neste presente trabalho, desenvolveu-se uma metodologia para caracterizar e avaliar um sistema PET /SPECT com dois detectores de cintilação e dispositivo com duas fontes pontuais de Cs-137, destinado à obtenção das imagens de transmissão para a correção de atenuação dos fótons. Ela se baseia em adaptações dos testes convencionais de câmaras SPECT, descritos no IAEA TecDoc - 602 - 1991 (\"lnternational Atomic Energy Agency\" - IAEA), e de sistemas PET dedicados, publicados no NEMA NU 2- 1994 (\"National Electrical Manufacturers Association\"NEMA). O resultado foi organizado em forma de roteiros que foram testados em uma câmara da ADAC Laboratories/Philips, a VertexlM - Plus EPIClMJMCDlM - AC, instalada no Serviço de Radioisótopos do lnCor - HCFMUSP (Instituto do Coração - Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo). Esta câmara foi a primeira instalada no Brasil e está sendo utilizada, predominantemente, para estudos oncológicos e de viabilidade miocárdica. O radiofármaco utilizado na obtenção das imagens foi a [18F]-FDG, fornecida regularmente pelo IPEN/CNEN-SP (Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares/Comissão Nacional de Energia Nuclear - São Paulo), e a reconstrução tomográfica foi realizada com o software próprio do sistema, utilizando-se os parâmetros padrão dos protocolos clínicos. Foram utilizadas fontes pontuais suspensas no ar para as medidas de resolução espacial transversal e lineares imersas na água para as de fração de espalhamento e sensibilidade. Na avaliação da sensibilidade, uniformidade, taxa de eventos verdadeiros, taxa de eventos aleatórios e tempo morto do sistema eletrônico, foram feitas imagens de um simulador físico construído especialmente para o presente trabalho, a partir das instruções da publicação NEMA NU 2 - 1994 para sistemas PET dedicados. A acurácia da correção de atenuação foi verificada através das imagens do simulador físico citado com a inserção de três cilindros de densidades diferentes: água, ar e Teflon. Os roteiros deste trabalho poderão servir de guia para Programas de Controle e Garantia de Qualidade e avaliação da performance de sistemas PET /SPECT com dois detectores de cintilação em coincidência. A implantação destes roteiros pelos centros clínicos que utilizam este tipo de equipamento aumentará a qualidade e a confiabilidade nas imagens resultantes, assim como na sua quantificação. / Positron emission tomography, PET, is a Nuclear Medicine technique that allows the study of human body\'s function and metabolism in many clinical problems, with the help of pharmaceuticals labeled with positron emitters. The most frequent applications occur in oncology, neurology and cardiology, through qualitative and quantitative analysis of these images. Currently, PET is performed in two manners: by using dedicated systems, consisted of rings of thousands of detectors operating in coincidence; or with the use of PET /SPECT cameras, formed by two scintillation detectors in coincidence, which are also used in SPECT studies (single photon emission tomography). The development of PET /SPECT systems made possible the studies with fluor-deoxiglucose, [18F]-FDG, a pharmaceutical labeled with 18F (positron emitter with 109 minutes physical half-life), for a large number of clinics and hospitals, mainly due to their economical accessibility when compared to the dedicated PET studies. In this present work, a method was developed for characterizing and evaluating a PET /SPECT system with two scintillation detectors and device with two point sources of 137Cs, designed to obtain the transmission images for the photon attenuation correction. lt is based on adaptations of the conventional tests of SPECT cameras, described in IAEA TecDoc - 602 - 1991 (\"international Atomic Energy Agency \" - IAEA), and those for dedicated PET systems, published in NEMA NU 2 - 1994 (\"National Electrical Manufacturers Association \" - NEMA). The results were organized in a set of testing protocols and tested in the ADAC Laboratories/Philips camera, the VertexlM - Plus EPIClM/MCDlM - AC, installed in the Radioisotopes Service of lnCor - HCFMUSP (Instituto do Coração - Hospital das clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo). This camera was the first one installed in Brazil and is being used, predominantly, for oncological studies and miocardial viability. The radiopharmaceutical used was [18F]-FDG, supplied regularly by IPEN/CNEN-SP (Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares I Comissão Nacional de Energia Nuclear - São Paulo), and the tomographic reconstruction was performed with the system software, using the standard parameters of the clinical protocols. Point sources suspended in air were used in the measurements of spatial resolution and linear sources immersed in water for scattering fraction and sensitivity measurements. In the evaluation of sensitivity, uniformity, true events, random events and dead time of the electronic system, a phantom was constructed specifically for the present work, from the instructions of NEMA NU 2 - 1994 for dedicated PET systems. The accuracy of the attenuation correction was verified from the images of the phantom with three inserts of different densities: water, air and Teflon. The resultant protocols can serve as a guideline for Programs of Quality Control and Assurance, as well as for the evaluation of the performance of PET /SPECT systems with two scintillation detectors in coincidence. lf implemented by clinical centers that use this type of equipment, it will enhance the quality and confidence of the resulting images, as well as their quantification.

Quality control programs in nuclear medicine include verifying the efficiency of all equipment used for diagnosis and therapy, including scintillation cameras. To that end, we have developed and evaluated the performance of four phantom kidneys two static anthropomorphic, one semi-dynamic, and one dynamic to acquire static and dynamic renal scintigraphic images. The static anthropomorphic phantoms were used to characterize and evaluate the response of the processing system for different concentrations of radionuclides through static renal scintigraphy images (99mTc-DMSA), obtained with posterior, right posterior oblique, left posterior oblique, and anterior incidences. The static phantoms were made in two ways; one was made of acrylic from a mold of a pair of human kidneys preserved in formalin, and the second was built with acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), in a 3D printer using the Slicer program, based on a computed tomography (CT) of the thorax, using the Slicer program. The semi-dynamic and dynamic phantoms were constructed to characterize and evaluate images of dynamic renal scintigraphy. In the semi-dynamic phantom, the injection of radiotracer was performed manually, whereas in the dynamic phantom, the radiotracer was automatically injected through an injector system. With the semi-dynamic phantom, it was possible to analyze the formation of a renogram with normal renal scintigraphic appearance using an imaging system. The simulations obtained from the dynamic phantom simulator enabled studies of normal renal scintigraphy and four other forms of renograms. The static anthropomorphic phantom kidneys proved to be efficient for use in evaluations of varying concentrations of radionuclides. The dynamic phantom kidney was useful for analysis of scintigraphic images and obtaining different pathways for elimination of the radioisotope, allowing for analysis of different renograms. Therefore, the new kidney phantoms would be useful for quality control of image processing systems in renal scintigraphy. / Um programa de controle de qualidade em serviços de medicina nuclear abrange a verificação da eficiência de todos os equipamentos utilizados para diagnóstico e terapia, incluindo a câmara de cintilação. Nesse trabalho, desenvolvemos e avaliamos o desempenho de quatro objetos simuladores renais: dois antropomórficos estáticos, um semidinâmico e outro dinâmico para aquisição de imagens cintilográficas renais estáticas e dinâmicas. Os objetos simuladores antropomórficos estáticos foram utilizados para caracterizar e avaliar a resposta do sistema de processamento para diferentes concentrações de radionuclídeos por meio de imagens de cintilografia renal estática (DMSA-99mTc), obtidas com incidências posteriores (POST), oblíqua posterior direita (OPD), oblíqua posterior esquerda (OPE) e anterior. Os objetos simuladores estáticos foram confeccionados de duas formas distintas: o primeiro foi feito de acrílico a partir de molde de um par de rins humano, conservados em formol, e o segundo foi construído de acrilonitrilabutadieno estireno (ABS) em uma impressora 3D, a partir de uma tomografia computadorizada (TC) de tórax, utilizando o programa Slicer. Foram construídos dois objetos simuladores para caracterizar e avaliar imagens da cintilografia renal dinâmica, o primeiro, semidinâmico, em que a injeção do radiotraçador foi realizada de forma manual, e um segundo objeto simulador dinâmico, com injeção automática do radiotraçador, através de um sistema injetor. Com o objeto simulador semidinâmico foi possível analisar a resposta do sistema de processamento de imagens para a forma de renograma com aspecto cintilográfico renal normal. O objeto simulador dinâmico possibilitou estudos simulados de cintilografia renal normal e de outras quatro formas de renogramas. Os novos objetos simuladores estáticos antropomórficos renais se mostraram eficientes para uso em avaliações de variação de concentrações de radionuclídeos e para análise das imagens cintilográficas e obtenção de diferentes formas de eliminação do radioisótopo, permitindo a análise de diferentes renogramas. Portanto, os novos objetos simuladores renais são eficientes para uso em controle de qualidade de cintilografias renais e sistemas de processamento de imagens.

Submitted by Marco Antonio Oliveira da Silva (maosilva@ipen.br) on 2016-12-22T16:42:56Z No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-22T16:42:56Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / 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. / Tese (Doutorado em Tecnologia Nuclear) / IPEN/T / Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares - IPEN-CNEN/SP

The GERDA experiment searches for the neutrinoless double beta (0𝜈𝛽𝛽) decay of Ge-76. The observation of this decay would prove the Majorana character of the neutrino, i.e. that it is its own antiparticle. This would clarify the question which neutrino mass ordering is realized in nature and give a hint of the effective Majorana neutrino mass. Furthermore, the existence of the 0𝜈𝛽𝛽 decay would imply the violation of lepton number conservation which is a key feature in some theories explaining the asymmetry of matter and antimatter in the universe. The effective Majorana neutrino mass is connected with the half life of the 0𝜈𝛽𝛽 decay via a nuclear matrix element (NME), which is predicted by various theoretical models that are afflicted by large uncertainties. The accuracy of the different NMEs and their internal model assumptions can be increased by considering experimental investigations. While the NMEs for the 0𝜈𝛽𝛽 decay and the neutrino accompanied double beta (2𝜈𝛽𝛽) decay are numerically different, they rely on similar model assumptions. Thus, experimental constraints can be given by the 2𝜈𝛽𝛽 decay into the ground state, which has been already measured by GERDA with unprecedented precision for Ge-76, but also by the investigation of the 2𝜈𝛽𝛽 decay into excited states, which has not yet been observed for Ge-76. GERDA operates enriched germanium detectors in liquid argon (LAr) which serves as an additional background veto using the scintillation light that is created when energy is deposited in LAr. The signal signature of the decay into excited states can be enhanced with the application of the LAr veto, however, for that the efficiency of the LAr veto needs to be determined. One of the key parameters of the LAr efficiency is the attenuation of the scintillation light in LAr, which is dependent on the impurity composition and concentration in LAr. Therefore, the attenuation length of the scintillation light in LAr has been measured in GERDA with a dedicated setup in the course of this work. The analysis of the acquired data required intense computer simulations in order to describe the background for the measurement sufficiently. This also involved the measurement of the steel reflectivity in the visible and the UV region, where LAr scintillates. Therewith, the search for excited states has been performed in this work for the data accumulated in GERDA Phase I, Phase II and Phase II+ including the LAr veto for the latter two data sets. New limits have been set on the investigated excited states decay modes and some of the corresponding theoretical half life predictions could be disfavored, i.e. the underlying NMEs models can be constrained. The successor experiment LEGEND will continue searching for the 0𝜈𝛽𝛽 decay of Ge-76 using more germanium detectors together with an improved LAr veto. The investigation of the decay of Ge-76 into excited states will also be further pursued in LEGEND.

This thesis deals with the design, implementation and testing of an equipment that performs spectral analysis of a gamma radiation, based on the evaluation of pulses from a scintillation detector. The pulzes are pre-amplified and digitized, and their further processing takes place numerically in an FPGA, which allows a simple modification of the function of the developed device. After an introduction to the issue of gamma radiation spectroscopy with a focus on its detection, the thesis is devoted to the development of a multichannel analyzer hardware, whose individual parts are further described later. Next, the development of a digital signal processing system in the FPGA is described. Followed by an analysis of a microcontroller firmware, and a text protocol for the controlling of the device. Finally, the results of the work are discussed, with a focus on the test measurement of gamma radiation.

ALTO is a project, currently in the research and development phase, with the goal of constructing a Very High Energy (VHE) gamma-ray observatory in the southern hemisphere. It will detect the particle content reaching the ground from the interactions of either VHE gamma rays or cosmic rays in the atmosphere known as extensive air showers. In this thesis, we use an ALTO prototype built at Linneaus University to estimate the vertical muon intensity in Växjö. The atmospheric muons we detect at ground level come from hadronic showers caused by a cosmic ray entering the atmosphere. Such showers are considered background noise in the context of VHE gamma-ray astronomy, and the presence of muons is an important indicator of the nature of the shower, and thus of the primary particle. The measurement is done by isolating events that produce signals in two small scintillation detectors that are part of the ALTO prototype, and are placed almost directly above each other. This gives us a data set that we assume represents muons travelling along a narrow set of trajectories, and by measuring the rate of such events, we estimate the muon intensity. We estimate the corresponding momentum threshold using two different methods; Monte Carlo simulation and calculation of the mean energy loss. The vertical muon intensity found through this method is about 21% higher than commonly accepted values. We discuss some possible explanations for this discrepancy, and conclude that the most likely explanation is that the isolated data set contains a significant number of “false positives”, i.e., events that do not represent a single muon following the desired trajectory.