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Modern African nuclear detector laboratory

Development of state-of-the-art in-house detector facility at the University of the Western Cape

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Abstract

The upcoming detector facility aims at developing new state-of-the-art particle detectors as well as providing hands-on training to postgraduate students using both analog and digital signal processing from nuclear radiation detectors. The project is two-fold and aims at developing: 1) ancillary detectors to be coupled with the new GAMKA array at iThemba LABS. Of particular interest to our group is the determination of nuclear shapes, which depend on the hyperfine splitting of magnetic substates; 2) PET scanners for cancer imaging using a cheaper technology. Performance of NaI(Tl) inorganic scintillator detectors has been evaluated using PIXIE-16 modules from XIA digital electronics. Gamma-ray energy spectra were acquired from 60Co and 137Cs radioactive sources to calculate the detector resolution as well as to optimize the digital parameters. The present study focuses on improving and optimizing the slow and fast filter parameters for NaI(Tl) detectors which can eventually be used in the list mode of data aquisition.

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Acknowledgements

We are highly thankful to all contributors to this upcoming detector facility at the University of the Western Cape, including Rosita De Oliveira (Finance), Chantal Dreyer (Budgets), Rene Peacock (International Payments), Chantal Keeble, Lucien Ryan, Layan Daley, Owen Swanson (Information and Communication Services), Gaironesa Barnes, Johan Cloete (Business & Innovation), and Jeanine Schroeder (Human Resources). We would like to thank S. Paulauskas for providing valuable feedback for the data acquisition, and P. Papka and D. T. Doherty for instrumental support. One the authors K. Kapoor would also like to thank the Science and Technology Facilities Council in the UK through the Global Challenges Research Fund and the University of York (UK) for providing funding, support and fruitful discussions at various stages.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of the Western Cape, P/B X17, Bellville, ZA-7535, South Africa

    K. Kapoor, J. N. Orce, K. Abrahams, E. Akakpo, Z. Bester, K. L. Jordaan, M. Y. Jones, M. A. Kamedien, R. Lindsay, B. Lomberg, S. Masango, C. Ngwetsheni, N. Radebe & S. Triambak

  2. Department of Physics, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK

    D. G. Jenkins

  3. Department of Physics, University of Zululand, P/B X1001, KwaDlangezwa, 3886, South Africa

    S. S. Ntshangase

  4. Department of Physics, University of Stellenbosch, P/B X1 Matieland, Stellenbosch, 7602, South Africa

    J. J. Van Zyl

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  1. K. Kapoor
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  2. J. N. Orce
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  3. K. Abrahams
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  4. E. Akakpo
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  5. Z. Bester
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  6. D. G. Jenkins
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  7. K. L. Jordaan
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  8. M. Y. Jones
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  9. M. A. Kamedien
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  10. R. Lindsay
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  11. B. Lomberg
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  12. S. Masango
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  13. C. Ngwetsheni
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  14. S. S. Ntshangase
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  15. N. Radebe
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  16. S. Triambak
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  17. J. J. Van Zyl
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to K. Kapoor or J. N. Orce.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Proceedings of the International Conference on Hyperfine Interactions and their Applications (HYPERFINE 2019), Goa, India, 10–15 February 2019

Edited by S. N. Mishra, P. L. Paulose and R. Palit

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Kapoor, K., Orce, J.N., Abrahams, K. et al. Modern African nuclear detector laboratory. Hyperfine Interact 240, 64 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10751-019-1607-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10751-019-1607-6

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