Gas flow to enhance the detection of alpha-induced air radioluminescence based on a UVTron flame sensor

Crompton, A. J., Gamage, K. A.A. , Bell, S., Wilson, A. P., Jenkins, A. W. and Trivedi, D. (2018) Gas flow to enhance the detection of alpha-induced air radioluminescence based on a UVTron flame sensor. Sensors, 18(6), 1842. (doi: 10.3390/s18061842)

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Abstract

In many field applications where alpha-induced radioluminescence (or so-called UV fluorescence) could potentially be used for stand-off detection of alpha-emitting materials, it may not be possible to create a fully purged gas atmosphere. Hence, an alternative gas delivery method to utilise the radioluminescence enhancing properties of gases has been investigated, with the novel results from this presented herewithin. A solar blind ultraviolet C (UVC) sensor (UVTron R9533, Hamamatsu, Japan) has been used to detect changes in the signal in the UVC wavelength range (180–280 nm), where gases of Ar, Xe, Ne, N2, Kr, and P-10 were flowed over a 6.95 MBq 210Po source using a narrow diameter pipe close to the source. In comparison with an air atmosphere, there was an increase in signal in all instances, the greatest being the flow of Xe, which in one instance greater than doubled the average counts per second. This increase in signal could prove beneficial in the design of a stand-off alpha detector to detect the very small UVC radioluminescence signals from alpha-emitting materials found in nuclear decommissioning environments.

Item Type:Articles
Additional Information:The authors would like to acknowledge funding support from the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and Sellafield Ltd. This work is in part supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), EP/R02572X/1. The Nuclear Security Science Network (NuSec) and Sellafield Ltd. provided funding to carry out these experiments.
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Gamage, Professor Kelum
Authors: Crompton, A. J., Gamage, K. A.A., Bell, S., Wilson, A. P., Jenkins, A. W., and Trivedi, D.
College/School:College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering
Journal Name:Sensors
Publisher:MDPI
ISSN:1424-8220
ISSN (Online):1424-8220
Copyright Holders:Copyright © 2018 The Authors
First Published:First published in Sensors 18(6):1842
Publisher Policy:Reproduced under a Creative Commons License

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