Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Image reconstruction of a neutron scatter camera

  • Article
  • Published:
Science China Technological Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Recently, Sandia Laboratories developed a neutron scatter camera to detect special nuclear materials. This camera exhibits the following advantages: high efficiency, direction discrimination, neutron-gamma discrimination ability, and wide field of view. However, using the direct projection method, the angular resolution of this camera is limited by uncertainties in the energies estimated from pulse height and time of flight measurements. In this study, we established an eight-element neutron scatter camera and conducted the experiment with a 252Cf neutron source. The results show that it has an angular resolution better than 8° (1σ) and a detection efficiency of approximately 2.6×10-4. Using maximum likelihood expectation maximization method, the image artifact was eliminated, and the angular resolution was improved. We proposed an average scattering angle method to estimate the scattering energy of neutrons and Compton gamma rays. As such, we can obtain a recognizable image and energy spectrum of the source with some degradation of energy and image resolutions. Finally, a newly measured light response function based on the MPD-4 device was used for image reconstruction. Although we did not obtain a better result than that of the standard light response function, we have observed the effects of light response function on image reconstruction.

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

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Runkle R C, Bernstein A, Vanier P E, et al. Detection of special nuclear material in cargo containers using neutron interrogation. J Appl Phys, 2010, 108: 111101–1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Slaughter D, Accatino M, Bernstein A, et al. Securing special nuclear material: Recent advances in neutron detection and their role in nonproliferation. UCRL-ID-155315, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, August 2003

    Google Scholar 

  3. Mascarenhas N, Brennan J, Krenz K, et al. Development of a neutron scatter camera for fission neutrons. IEEE NSS/MIC, San Diego, CA, 2006, N11-1: 185–188

    Google Scholar 

  4. Marleau P, Brennan P, Krenz K, et al. Advances in imaging fission neutrons with a neutron scatter camera. IEEE NSS/MIC, Honolulu, HI, 2007, N10-2: 170–172

    Google Scholar 

  5. Mascarenhas N, Brennan J, Krenz K, et al. Results with the neutron scatter camera. IEEE T Nucl Sci, 2009, 56: 1269–1273

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Brennan J, Brubaker E, Cooper R, et al. Measurement of the fast neutron energy spectrum of an 241Am-Be source using a neutron scatter camera. IEEE T Nucl Sci, 2011, 58: 2426–2430

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Macri J R, Bravar U, Legere J S, et al. The fast neutron imaging telescope (FNIT)-hardware development and prototype testing. IEEE NSS/MIC, 2007, N10-3: 173–178

    Google Scholar 

  8. Bravar U, Woolf R S, Bruillard P J, et al. Calibration of the fast neutron imaging telescope (FNIT) prototype detector. IEEE T Nucl Sci, 2009, 56: 2947–2954

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Xu D. Gamma-ray Imaging and polarization measurement using 3-D position-sensitive CdZnTe detectors. Dissertation of Doctor Degree. Michigan: The University of Michigan, 2006

    Google Scholar 

  10. Wilderman S J, Fessler J A, Clinthorne N H, et al. Improved modeling of system response in list mode em reconstruction of compton scatter camera images. IEEE T Nucl Sci, 2001, 48: 111–116

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Barrett H H, White T, Parra L C. List-mode likelihood. J Opt Soc Am A, 1997, 14: 2914–2923

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Mesytec Inc. Detector electronics & readout system. http://www. mesytec.com

  13. Ruben A, Hoagland T E, Fox R, et al. A new four channel pulse shape discriminator. IEEE NSS/MIC, 2007, N15-273: 681–684

    Google Scholar 

  14. Sparrow Inc.. Kmax program. http://www.sparrowcorp.com/

  15. Pelowitz D B. MCNPX User’s Manual, Version 2.5.0. Los Alamos National Laboratory report LA-CP-05-0369 (April 2005) H-3, 2005

    Google Scholar 

  16. Zhang M, Peng B D, Sheng L, et al. Research of the system response of neutron double scatter imaging for MLEM reconstruction. Nucl Instrum Meth A, 2015, 775: 131–138

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Reuss P. Neutron Physics. France: EDP Sciences, 2008. 203

    Google Scholar 

  18. Knoll G F. Radiation Detection and Measurement. 4th ed. New York: Wiley Press, 2000. 50

    Google Scholar 

  19. Dietze G, Klein H. Report PTB-ND-22. Braunschweig, Germany: Physikalisch-Techniche Bundesantalt, 1982

    Google Scholar 

  20. Matei C, Hambsch F J, Oberstedt S. Proton light output function and neutron efficiency of a p-terphenyl detector using a 252Cf source. Nucl Instrum Meth A, 2012, 676: 135–139

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Nuclear Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, 710049, China

    XianPeng Zhang, Mei Zhang & ChaHui He

  2. Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology, P.O. Box 69-9, Xi’an, 710024, China

    XianPeng Zhang, Mei Zhang, Lang Sheng, ZhongBing Zhang, KuiNian Li, BoDong Peng, XiaoDong Zhang, XiaoPing Ouyang, Jun Liu, JinLiang Liu, Liang Chen & Jie Zhu

Authors
  1. XianPeng Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mei Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Lang Sheng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. ZhongBing Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. KuiNian Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. BoDong Peng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. XiaoDong Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. XiaoPing Ouyang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Jun Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. JinLiang Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. Liang Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  12. Jie Zhu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  13. ChaHui He
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to XianPeng Zhang.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Zhang, X., Zhang, M., Sheng, L. et al. Image reconstruction of a neutron scatter camera. Sci. China Technol. Sci. 59, 149–155 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-015-5922-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-015-5922-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation