Geant4 investigation of the alpha-beta-gamma detector system used in medical imaging, environmental and nuclear site monitoring
Abstract
No commercially available detector system can measure alpha, beta and gamma-rays at the same time and separately with good efficiency, while being cost-effective, portable and offering real-time monitoring. The main purpose of an alpha-beta-gamma detector would be for safety management and nuclear decommissioning in the nuclear industry. This idea for a detector system became more valuable, after Fukushima in Japan, because nuclear waste can contain fission products and transactinide materials which not only emit gamma-rays but also emit alpha and beta particles and in some cases, neutrons. In this research, we investigated the best available alpha-beta-gamma radiation detector materials and their optimum thickness by using Geant4 based GATE simulation. The work revealed a better efficiency result for each radiation type than in previous work. In the simulation, 0.05 mm ZnS(Ag), 3.2 mm plastic scintillator and 1.75 mm BGO were found to be best for the detection and identification of alpha, beta and gamma-rays respectively. In nuclear medicine, this type of detector system could also modify to become a miniaturized radio-guided surgery beta-gamma probe beside of the modification into the robotic surgery. This research result will influence three different areas in imaging technology, homeland security and nuclear industry.
Keywords
Detector development, ionizing radiation, medical imaging, environmental monitoring, Geant4 simulation
Thanks
We would like to thank Prof. Sefa ERTÜRK, and Dr. Şule KARATEPE
References
- [1] Yavuzkanat N., Development of Novel Scintillation Detection Techniques for Use in Nuclear Physics and Medical Applications, Doctor of Philosophy thesis, University of York, 2015.
- [2] Seiichi Y., Hiroyuk I., Development of at three-layer phoswich alpha–beta–gamma imaging detector, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A, (785) (2015) 129–134.
- [3] Kenichiro Y., Shigekazu U., H. G., Simultaneous Alpha, Beta/Gamma, and Neutron Counting With Phoswich Detectors by Using a Dual-Parameter Technique, Ieee Transactions On Nuclear Science, 48(4) (2001) 1162-1167.
- [4] Efremenkov V. M., Radioactive waste management at nuclear power plants An overview of the types of low- and intermediate-level wastes and how they are handled, Iaea Bulletin, 4 (1989) 37-42.
- [5] SheenI S. H., Prokofiev G., Extended In-Situ and Real Time Monitoring Task 4: Detection and Monitoring of Leaks at Nuclear power Plants External to Structures, Argon National Laboratory, Accessed April (2020).
- [6] Turkington G., Kelum A. A. G., James G., Beta detection of strontium-90 and the potential for direct in situ beta detection for nuclear decommissioning applications, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors, and Associated Equipment, (911) (2018) 55-65.
- [7] Francesco C., Valerio B., Paolo C., Micol De S., Stefano F., Riccardo F., Alessandro G., Daria M., Carlo M. T., Michela M., Riccardo M., Silvio M., Riccardo S., Teresa S., Giacomo T., Elena S. C., Radioguided surgery with β radiation: a novel application with Ga-68, Nature/Scientific Reports, 8 (16171) (2018) 1-9.
- [8] Bipin S., Brendan C. S. J., Samta T., Valeriy G., Twyla B., Val L., Steven C., Gerald E., Vivek N., A Hand-Held Beta Imaging Probe for FDG, Ann Nucl Med. 27 (3) (2013) 203–208.
- [9] Spadola S., Development and evaluation of an intraoperative beta imaging probe for radio-guided solid tumor surgery, Doctor of Philosophy thesis, Université Paris Saclay, 2016.
- [10] Mohammad I., Castro I. F. C., Correia P. M. M., Silva A.L.M., Veloso J.F.C.A., Minimization of parallax error in positron emission tomography using depth of interaction capable detectors: methods and apparatus, IOP Biomed. Phys. Eng. Express, 5 (062001) (2019).