Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Development of a phoswich detector system for radioxenon monitoring

  • Published:
Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Measurement of radioactive xenon in the atmosphere is one of several techniques to detect nuclear weapons testing. For high sensitivity, some existing systems use beta/gamma coincidence detection to suppress background, which is very effective, but increases complexity due to separate beta and gamma detectors that require careful calibration and gain matching. In this paper, we will describe the development and evaluation of a simpler detector system, named PhosWatch, consisting of a CsI(Tl)/BC-404 phoswich well detector, digital readout electronics, and pulse shape analysis algorithms implemented in a digital signal processor on the electronics, and compare its performance to existing multi-detector systems.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Reeder PL, Bowyer TW, Perkins RW (1998) J Radioanal Nucl Chem 235:89

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Ringbom A, Larson T, Axelson A, Elmgren K, Johansson C (2003) Nucl Instrum Methods Phys Res A 508:542

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Ely JH, Aalseth CE, Mcintyre JI (2005) J Radioanal Nucl Chem 263(1):245

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Hennig W, Tan H, Warburton WK, McIntyre JI (2006) IEEE Trans Nucl Sci 53(2):620

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Farsoni AT, Hamby DM (2007) Nucl Instrum Methods Phys Res A 578:528

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Hennig W, Tan H, Fallu-Labruyere A, Warburton WK, McIntyre JI, Gleyzer A (2007) Nucl Instrum Methods Phys Res A 579:431

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Hennig W, Chu YX, Tan H, Fallu-Labruyere A, Warburton WK, Grzywacz R (2007) Nucl Instrum Methods Phys Res B 263:175

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Reeder PL, Bowyer TW, McIntyre JI, Pitts WK, Ringbom A, Johansson C (2004) Nucl Instrum Methods Phys Res A 521:586

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Cooper MW, McIntyre JI, Bowyer TW, Carman AJ, Hayes JC, Heimbigner TR, Hubbard CW, Lidey L, Litke KE, Morris SJ, Ripplinger MD, Suarez R, Thompson R (2007) Nucl Instrum Methods Phys Res A 579:426

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Fontaine J-P, Pointurier F, Blanchard X, Taffary T (2004) J Environ Radioact 72:129

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Cooper MW, Hayes JC, Heimbigner TR, Hubbard CW, McIntyre JI, Ripplinger MD, Schrom BT (2007) Proceedings of the 29th monitoring research review, LA-UR-07-5613, vol 2, p 739

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the US Department of Energy under Award No. DE-FG02-04ER84121

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. XIA LLC, 31057 Genstar Rd, Hayward, CA, 94544, USA

    W. Hennig, W. K. Warburton, A. Fallu-Labruyere & K. Sabourov

  2. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, 99352, USA

    M. W. Cooper & J. I. McIntyre

  3. PhotoPeak, Inc, 10180 Queens Way #3-5, Chagrin Falls, OH, 44023, USA

    A. Gleyzer

  4. Radiation Protection Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, K1A-1C1, Canada

    M. Bean, E. P. Korpach, K. Ungar, W. Zhang & P. Mekarski

Authors
  1. W. Hennig
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. W. K. Warburton
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. A. Fallu-Labruyere
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. K. Sabourov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. M. W. Cooper
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. J. I. McIntyre
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. A. Gleyzer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. M. Bean
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. E. P. Korpach
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. K. Ungar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. W. Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  12. P. Mekarski
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to W. Hennig.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hennig, W., Warburton, W.K., Fallu-Labruyere, A. et al. Development of a phoswich detector system for radioxenon monitoring. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 282, 681–685 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-009-0181-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-009-0181-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation