GEANT4 simulation of a scintillating-fibre tracker for the cosmic-ray muon tomography of legacy nuclear waste containers

Clarkson, A. et al. (2014) GEANT4 simulation of a scintillating-fibre tracker for the cosmic-ray muon tomography of legacy nuclear waste containers. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors, and Associated Equipment, 746, pp. 64-73. (doi: 10.1016/j.nima.2014.02.019)

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Publisher's URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2014.02.019

Abstract

Cosmic-ray muons are highly penetrative charged particles that are observed at the sea level with a flux of approximately one per square centimetre per minute. They interact with matter primarily through Coulomb scattering, which is exploited in the field of muon tomography to image shielded objects in a wide range of applications. In this paper, simulation studies are presented that assess the feasibility of a scintillating-fibre tracker system for use in the identification and characterisation of nuclear materials stored within industrial legacy waste containers. A system consisting of a pair of tracking modules above and a pair below the volume to be assayed is simulated within the GEANT4 framework using a range of potential fibre pitches and module separations. Each module comprises two orthogonal planes of fibres that allow the reconstruction of the initial and Coulomb-scattered muon trajectories. A likelihood-based image reconstruction algorithm has been developed that allows the container content to be determined with respect to the scattering density λ, a parameter which is related to the atomic number Z of the scattering material. Images reconstructed from this simulation are presented for a range of anticipated scenarios that highlight the expected image resolution and the potential of this system for the identification of high-Z materials within a shielded, concrete-filled container. First results from a constructed prototype system are presented in comparison with those from a detailed simulation. Excellent agreement between experimental data and simulation is observed showing clear discrimination between the different materials assayed throughout.

Item Type:Articles
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Mahon, Dr David and Murray, Dr Morgan and Yang, Dr Guangliang and Hoek, Mr Matthias and Shearer, Dr Craig and Keri, Dr Tibor and McKinnon, Dr Bryan and Clarkson, Mr Anthony and Kaiser, Professor Ralf and Nutbeam-Tuffs, Mrs Sian and Ireland, Professor David and Hamilton, Dr David
Authors: Clarkson, A., Hamilton, D.J., Hoek, M., Ireland, D.G., Johnstone, J.R., Kaiser, R., Keri, T., Lumsden, S., Mahon, D.F., McKinnon, B., Murray, M., Nutbeam-Tuffs, S., Shearer, C., Staines, C., Yang, G., and Zimmerman, C.
College/School:College of Science and Engineering > School of Physics and Astronomy
Journal Name:Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors, and Associated Equipment
Publisher:Elsevier
ISSN:0168-9002
ISSN (Online):1872-9576

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